One Iraqi group holds a Philippine hostage, threatens killing him; Allawi accuses foreigners of the attacks, vows to crush them

The Interim Iraqi prime minister Eyad Allawi accused what he called foreigners for being behind the attack which targeted the surrounding of the al-Wifaq movement which he presides over in al-Haretheyah area in the downtown of Baghdad.

In a statement circulated by E-mail, Allawi threatened to crush what he had described as criminal strangers who entered the country illegally.

Some 11 persons were injured in a bombardment near Allawi's house and his party's headquarters in the Iraqi capital, while four members of the Iraqi national guards members were killed and other 17 injured in an attack carried out by unidentified gunmen against Iraqi and American forces in Haifa street in the downtown of Baghdad during which two American helicopters bombarded a building in the area.

In Karkouk, five police men including an officer and strongly wounded in two separate attacks. Officials in the Iraqi police said that gunmen attacked inspection points for the security forces there.

One American military spokesman said that one American soldier was killed and other three injured in al-Ramadi when the truck carrying them collided on Tuesday morning in al-Ramadi to the west of Baghdad. The American army had announced the death of four marines during a clash that took place on Monday ion al-Anbar governorate west of Baghdad.

In Falluja news reports said the American forces detained five Iraqis in al-Fallahat area to the west of the city following inspection and breaking in operations for houses in the area. Witnesses said that large damages were inflicted in the furniture of several houses as a result of the inspection operations.

On the other hand, a group calling itself " Fillaq Khaled Bin al-Waleed " ( Khaled Group) of the Islamic army in Iraq said it seizes a Philippine hostage who was an employee in a Saudi company working with the American forces.

In a video tape the group called on the Philippines government to withdraw its armed forces from Iraq within 72 hours otherwise it will kill the hostage. It added that it killed one member of the Iraqi security men who was escorting the Philippine man. Worthy mentioning that Philippines has 50 soldiers in Iraq.

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