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Article: IRAQ - Sunni Area Closed Off.
- Article from:
- APS Diplomat Redrawing the Islamic Map
- Article date:
- May 1, 2006
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US and Iraqi troops on April 17 sealed off A'thamiya, one of Baghdad's most prominent Sunni Arab districts after overnight gun battles raged through the streets there, leaving homes and storefronts riddled with bullet holes and at least one civilian dead. The closing of A'thamiya, in northern Baghdad, signalled a deteriorating security situation in a neighbourhood where attacks on US and Iraqi forces had been on a relative ebb for many months.
The area is home to hardline Sunnis who largely remain hostile to the Shi'ite-led government and US presence. At its centre is the famous Abu Hanifa Mosque, where Saddam made a final appearance on April 8, 2003, before ...