Bashaer al-Kheir II will not eliminate gunmen- official

DIALA / IraqiNews.com: An Islamic Daawa Party leader on Wednesday said Operation Bashaer al-Kheir (Promise of Good) II, launched in the volatile province of Diala to track down gunmen of Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) network, will not eliminate armed groups in the province. “Operation Bashaer al-Kheir II did not achieve its desired objectives because many AQI leaders have fled to the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq…,” Saji Qadouri told IraqiNews.com news agency. The operation, launched five days ago, is covering all areas of Diala, where 21,000 personnel from the police, the Iraqi army’s 5th Division and two army brigades from outside the province are taking part. On Tuesday (May 5), the Iraqi Ministry of Interior said that 36 wanted persons have been detained since the launch of the operation. Operation Bashaer al-Kheir I, which was launched at the end of July 2008, covered all areas of Diala. The province of Diala lies 57 km northeast of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. SS (P)/SR 1