Sunni mosque targeted in Iraqi bomb attack
Iraq's police force constantly come under attack
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Saturday, 24, Feb 2007 07:59
A truck bomb has killed at least 35 people in the Iraqi town of Habbaniyah.
The blast occurred close to a prominent Sunni mosque in the town, located 50 miles west of Baghdad in the notoriously unstable Anbar province.
Approximately 60 people were wounded in the attack, which came on the same day as an armed raid on an Iraqi police checkpoint in Baghdad.
The Reuters news agency reported that eight police officers were killed after insurgent gunmen opened fire on their checkpoint in the unstable capital.
Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki insisted earlier today that despite the ongoing violence, the US-led security plan implemented last week was making progress against the insurgents.
Mr al-Maliki said that around 400 militants had been arrested or killed since the security plan was introduced.
"We will punish all those who ease up on searches involving people from their sect or ethnicity," Reuters quoted a statement issued by his office as saying.
Iraq's struggle for security is currently the centre of attention in domestic US politics, where president George Bush's policy of reinforcing current troops has received official disapproval from Congress.
Those opposing the US' continued presence in Iraq could vote to restrict funding for the 21,000 reinforcements wanted by the Bush administration.