Sunni militants news stories on Newser

With US Gone, Iraq Explodes

Kevin Spak — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 07:15:34 CST

Iraq has experienced a surge in violence since US troops left the country last month, with 327 people dying in explosions or assassinations by the Iraqi Ministry's official count. Bombings have hit Baghdad neighborhoods , Shiite pilgrims , and Sunni police, among other targets. "They are not arbitrary attacks. They are sending...

Wave of Bombings Targets Iraq's Shiites, Killing 72

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:00:19 CST

A wave of bombings targeting Shiites in Iraq killed 72 people today, deepening sectarian tensions that exploded just after the last American troops left the country in mid-December. The bombings began early in the morning when explosions struck two Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad, killing at least 27 people. A few...

29 Killed in Baghdad Mosque Bombings

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:31:27 CDT

Bombs exploded near five Shiite mosques in Baghdad today, killing at least 29 people, according to Iraqi police and hospital officials. The bombings, apparently part of a coordinated attack that targeted worshipers leaving Friday prayers, shattered a period of relative calm in the Iraqi capital. The deaths raised to at...

Iran Hangs 3 for Mosque Blast

Jess Kilby — Sat, 30 May 2009 05:37:57 CDT

Iran publicly hanged three men today in connection with the bombing of a Shi’ite mosque last week that killed at least 30, Reuters reports. Responsibility for the blast has reportedly been claimed by the Sunni militant group Jundollah, which Iran says is part of the al Qaeda network and is...

Gunmen Strike Iran Prez Campaign Office

Neal Colgrass — Fri, 29 May 2009 19:30:00 CDT

Gunmen raised political tensions in Iran today by shooting up a campaign office in Zahedan, the town where a mosque bombing left 23 dead yesterday, the Los Angeles Times reports. Tehran officials accused Washington of supporting the gunmen, who injured up to three people in the office of President Mahmoud...

Iraq Nabs 'Mother' of Female Terrorists

Peter Fearon — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 03:33:14 CST

Iraqi forces have arrested a woman suspected of recruiting more than 80 female suicide bombers, the Times of London reports. Samira Ahmed Jassim, known as “the mother of the believers,” has confessed to sending 28 women on suicide missions. Jassim also admitted to planning the rapes of many of her...

US Hands Anbar Province to Iraqis

Jason Farago — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:30:58 CDT

The American military is finally handing over control of Anbar province, once the center of the Sunni insurgency, to Iraqi forces today. Once one of Iraq's most dangerous regions, Anbar was transformed as Sunni militants allied themselves with the US. The transfer of Anbar, delayed several times, brings the number...

9 Dead, 100 Wounded in Iran Mosque Blast

Harry Kimball — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 20:36:50 CDT

A bomb killed nine and wounded more than 100 in an Iranian mosque today, scattering members of an extremist Shiite group, the BBC reports. Police and militia have cordoned off the area while medics attend to victims and local media call for blood donations. No one has claimed responsibility for...

Sunni Militias Threaten Strike Over Late Pay

Kevin Spak — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:53:53 CDT

US-allied Sunni militias are threatening to go on strike over late pay. At least two of the 49 Awakening councils that have been enlisted in the fight against al-Qaeda in Iraq have already done so, reports the Guardian , and the dispute over their $10-a-day payments threatens the partnership that has...