As we have noted several times in the past, as the Baghdad Security Plan begins to show progress inside the city, the likelihood is the attacks in the provinces will increase. Over the past 24 hours, two major attacks occurred in Hillah (Babil province) and Mosul (Niwena province).
In Hillah, two suicide bombers attacks pilgrims flocking to Karbala to mark the end of a religious period.Over 115 were killed and 200 wounded. Today, another 5 Shia pilgrims were killed and 14 wounded just south of Baghdad.
This morning, I attended a press conference with Major General Bill Caldwell, the spokesman for Multinational Forces Iraq. He noted that we can "expect increase SVBIED and SIED attacks as security operations progress." Al Qaeda "will do everything they can to instigate and serve as a catalyst" for further violence between Shia and Sunnis. "Al Qaeda is trying to restart the cycle of violence." Major General Caldwell also noted the Iraqi security forces had requested to maintain security for the pilgrimage.
In Mosul, al Qaeda massed over 300 troops and staged a daring prison break at dusk. The Kurdish guards were overwhelmed, and called U.S. forces in Mosul for support. The prison housed several hundred high value targets, and al Qaeda was able to free 140 of them. The attack was said to have been led by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, leader of political front the Islamic State in Iraq. All but 47 of the prisoners have been recaptured, according to Iraqi police.