Al-Qaeda claims Ramadi

2005-12-01 22:29

Paris - Al-Qaeda's branch in Iraq claimed on Thursday in an internet statement that its fighters were in control of the restive city of Ramadi west of Baghdad.

"Your brothers in the military wing of the al-Qaeda Organisation in the Land of Two Rivers were able to control a big part of the city of Ramadi after launching a new blessed conquest," said the statement whose authenticity could not be independently verified.

"Your brothers attacked the Crusaders and chased down the infidels in the city's streets."

The United States military accused insurgents of deliberately playing up the violence in Ramadi, which they said involved a rocket-propelled grenade being fired on a US-Iraqi observation post without causing damage or casualties.

But residents said rebels had fired mortars and rockets on the base and had occupied streets in the centre of town for about 45 minutes before withdrawing.

Arab satellite channels like Al-Jazeera showed images of masked men roaming the deserted streets of Ramadi, which continues to be a major flashpoint in war-torn Iraq despite several US-led military operations in the area over the past year.

- AFP