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| Baqubah Arabic: بعقوبة Baqubah |
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| Country | Iraq |
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| Governorate | Diyala |
| Population (2003 est) | |
| - Total | 318,000 |
Baqubah (Arabic: بعقوبة; BGN: Ba‘qūbah; also spelled Baquba and Baqouba) is the capital of Iraq's Diyala Governorate.
The city is located some 50 km (30 miles) to the northeast of Baghdad, on the Diyala River, just outside Iraq's so-called Sunni Triangle. In 2003 it had an estimated population of some 318,547 people.[1]
The site has been inhabited continuously since pre-Islamic times as a center for agriculture and commerce. The name itself is thought to have come from the Assyrian language Baya 'quba, meaning "Yacoub's (Jacob) house." It served as a way station between Baghdad and Khorasan on the medieval Silk Road. It is now known as the center of Iraq's commercial orange groves.
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Recent history
During the course of the U.S-led occupation of Iraq, Baquba emerged as the scene of some of the heaviest guerrilla activity, along with the Sunni enclaves of Fallujah, Ramadi, and Samarra. It was the site of the heaviest fighting during the June 24, 2004 insurgent offensive. Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad, led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, took responsibility for the attacks.
In a setback for insurgents, Iraqi and U.S. officials confirmed on June 8, 2006, that al-Zarqawi had been killed in an airstrike and subsequent raid 8 km (5 miles) north of Baquba.[1] During late 2006, however, Baqubah and much of Diyala province were reported to have come under Sunni insurgent control. [2] On January 3, 2007 the previous Iraqi government in Baquba was reported to have fallen, leaving the city in the hands of insurgents fighting against the American led coalition in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In January 2007, it was reported [3] that Sunni insurgents were able to kidnap the mayor and blow up his office, despite promises from American and Iraqi military officials that the situation in the city was "reassuring and under control". The city at its peak had over 300,000 residents, but a February 2007 report labeled the city a "ghost town" as residents either fled criminal and sectarian violence or remained in hiding at home. [4]
Attacks during Iraq war
The following is a list of deadly attacks in the city including the death of al-Zarqawi and after. [2]
- June 7, 2006: A U.S. airstrike kills Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the former leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, near Baqubah, northeast of Baghdad.
- June 26, 2006: At least 25 people are killed in a bicycle bombing in the city, according to police.
- Oct. 3, 2006: In a string of deadly attacks, gunmen open fire on a Shiite family fleeing the city, killing five of them. Ten others are killed in shooting and bombing incidents, and 10 bodies are found in the city, the apparent victims of sectarian slayings.
- Oct. 26, 2006: Insurgents ambush a police unit, killing 24 policemen and one civilian. Eight insurgents are killed in subsequent fighting with police and U.S. troops, the military says.
- Nov. 12, 2006: Fifty bodies are found dumped behind the offices of the provincial electric company, according to the Iraqi army's provincial public affairs office.
- Nov. 29, 2006: Fighting between police and insurgents after an attack on Baqubah's police headquarters shuts down the city, closing the university, schools and most stores, and clearing the streets of everyone, except a few who scurry about to stock up on food. At least 55 militants are killed in clashes in the preceding days, according to anonymous police sources.
- Nov. 30, 2006: The U.S. military says Iraqi forces find 28 bodies in a mass grave south of Baqubah, following days of heavy fighting that killed scores of people in and around the city.
- Dec. 2, 2006: U.S. and Iraqi forces begin an offensive in the city in response to fighting that raged for a week between Sunni insurgents and police. Ahmed Fuad, a senior morgue official, says the morgue received 102 bodies in the previous two weeks.
- Dec. 3, 2006: Some 16 bodies — apparent victims of sectarian death squads — are found.
- Dec. 29, 2006: Ten bodies showing signs of torture are found dumped on the streets of the city, police and morgue officials say.
- June 22nd, 2008: A female suicide bomber detonated a powerful explosive device outside a government outpost and courthouse. 15 were killed in the blast.
Operation Arrowhead Ripper
On June 19, 2007, U.S. forces launched a large-scale operation against Iraqi militants in Baquba. The offensive, Operation Arrowhead Ripper, involved approximately 10,000 coalition soldiers. [3]
References
- ^ According to the Former regime
- ^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070122/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_baqouba_glance
- ^ "U.S. military launches operation against al Qaeda in Iraq", CNN, 2007-06-19. Retrieved on 2007-06-19.
External links
Listen to Iraqis speak out against al-qaeda and find out what is going on now in Baqubah. Text, Videos, and pictures from the front lines and during food distribution.
See also
