Baghdad: The Lion Leap operation, launched by Iraqi and US forces in the southern city of Diwaniya, is expected to continue for more few weeks, said the Iraqi army sources.
Despite conflicting information on the operation's goals, the US army said that it aims to eliminate Iran's agents in the province. Some Iraqi army reports, however, confirmed that 'Lion Leap' operation aims to eliminate the outlaw militias and gangs.
The sources did not make any reference to the Mahdi Army led by the Shiite leader Moqtada Al Sadr.
Abu Muntathar, a prominent member in the Mahdi Army, told Gulf News: "I left Diwaniya days before the operation started and came to Baghdad.
"Some powerful Shiite parties incited the US and Iraqi forces to strike the Mahdi Army under the pretext of imposing law in the province. I can identify the inciters, the Badr Organisation, led Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, and the Dawa Party, led by Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki. They divided the Mahdi Army into outlaws and those who commit to the law.
Divided house
"They tried to persuade Al Sadr citing this division to strike down the 'outlaws' inside Mahdi Army."
Based on the Iraqi Interior Ministry's intelligence agency report, there are more than 40,000 armed men in the Mahdi Army versus 20,000 armed men from the Badr Organisation and Dawa party and other Shiite forces in Diwaniya.
Radhi Al Ameri, a leader in the Badr Organisation, told Gulf News: "We support the Lion Leap Operation because we believe outlaws in Diwaniya province are not from the Mahdi Army and not followers of Al Sadr.
"They are members of criminal gangs who carry weapons and act above the law."
Halim Al Assadi, an Iraqi political analyst in Diwaniya, told Gulf News: "What is happening in Diwaniya province is a Shiite-Shiite political conflict. It is a struggle for power, influence, funds and trade. I believe that one party is trying to strike the other and one businessman is reporting against other trader dealer and so. That how Diwaniya's scene is and it is a very critical matter and I believe the assassinations war will continue."
Earlier in Diwaniya, American and Iraqi forces found weapon stores similar to those in Sunni areas such as Tharthar and Habaniyah. The stores contained tonnes of arms.
The Iraqi government sent 3,000 troops to Diwaniya because it realised that poor security situation in Diwaniya means losing control over the security situation over entire southern Iraq, inhabited by an overwhelming Shiite majority.
Salah Al Obaidi, a professor at Diwaniya University, told Gulf News: "Despite the reconciliation agreement, which was signed recently between the two Shiite leaders - Al Hakim and Al Sadr - the situation on the ground seem incorrigible and I think the Lion Leap operation will increase tension between the Badr organisation and the Mahdi Army."
A southern Shiite city hit by the worst attack against civilians in Iraq in four months prepared to bury its dead yesterday, a day after three synchronised car bombs killed up to 41 people and scattered the market with glass and broken concrete.
Some officials fear attacks like Wednesday's could ignite fighting between powerful Shiite factions in Amarah.
- With additional inputs from AP
