U.S.-Allied Sunni Leader and 6 Guards Killed in Iraq
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
BAGHDAD — Gunmen killed a senior leader of an American-allied Sunni group and six of his guards in an ambush south of Baghdad, a group member and residents said yesterday.
The U.S. military confirmed casualties in an attack on the man’s house but denied that he was killed.
Sheik Ibrahim al-Karbouli’s convoy came under attack Monday in Youssifiyah, according to one of his followers and several residents in the town. All spoke on condition of anonymity out of fears for their own security.
The sheik was a senior leader of the so-called awakening council in the town, which is a former Al Qaeda stronghold about 12 miles south of the Iraqi capital.
The two versions of events — one from a group member and several townspeople and another from the U.S. military — could not be immediately reconciled.
Al Qaeda has frequently mounted reprisal attacks against awakening councils because of their success in cutting into support for the terror movement among Iraqi Sunni Arabs.
Police also discovered the bodies of three awakening council members who were abducted several days ago, police Brigadier General Sarhat Qadir said.
