A statement posted on the website of the Islamic State of
Iraq said the operation was carried out by a "hero of Islam" and was
intended to hit the "mouthpieces of the wicked and evil." The
Arabic-language news channel Al-Arabiya is one of the most popular in the
Middle East but is perceived by insurgents as being pro-Western. A suicide
bomber driving a minibus Monday drove through at least two checkpoints before
pulling up to the front of the station's Baghdad office and blowing himself and
his vehicle up.
"We take responsibility for targeting this corrupt
channel, and we will not hesitate to hit any media office and chase its
staffers if they insist on being a tool of war against almighty God and his
prophet," the announcement said.
The massive blast blew out windows in the two-story
Al-Arabiya building and left much of the interior in shambles, with doors
hanging off their frames. None of the dead were employees of the network.
While violence has dissipated in Iraq, attacks like
Monday's still happen with disturbing regularity.
On Thursday, a suicide bomber drove a minibus into the
main gate of an Iraqi army base near Saddam Hussein's hometown, killing four
soldiers and wounding 10, said police and hospital officials.
It was in the latest strike against the nation's fragile
security forces as the US military draws down its troops.
The 7 a.m. attack took place in the town of Shurqat as
soldiers were changing their shifts, according to one witness.
Two of the four slain soldiers died after being rushed to
a hospital for treatment, said Dr. Samir Issa. Ten others were also taken to
the hospital in Shurqat, 155 miles (250 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad and
just north of Saddam's hometown of Tikrit.
The area near Tikrit has long been a hotbed for
insurgents who fought US troops after Saddam was ousted in 2003.
Seven years later, insurgents are increasingly targeting
Iraqi security forces, as all but 50,000 US troops prepare to leave the country
by the end of August. As part of a security agreement between the United States
and Iraq, all American troops must leave Iraq by the end of 2011.
Also Thursday morning, two road side bombs, targeting
Iraqi army patrols exploded in Fallujah, 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of
Baghdad, killing two Iraqi soldiers and wounding eight others, police and
hospital officials in the city said.
And in the northern city of Mosul, a bomb attached to a
police vehicle killed one policeman and injured two others, a police official
in the city said.
All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because
they were not authorized to speak to the media.
