Continued attacks; minister warns of civil war in Iraq

Attacks and explosions continued on Tuesday in various parts of Iraq, the most recent of which was the killing of four Iraqis including three soldiers and injuring other four in various attacks in Sameraa and al-Touz to the north of Baghdad.

The headquarters of al-Watan quarters which is led by Mahan al-Jabbouri in al-Sharqat city which is near al-Musil was attacked by mortar shelling and this resulted in injuring four persons.

Earlier one Iraqi policeman was killed and two other injured when mortar shelling fell at a police center in the downtown of Baqouba to the north east of Baghdad.

In the capital Baghdad, four persons were killed and other 8 were injured in a booby trapped car explosion that targeted the headquarters of the Higher Council Of The Islamic Revolution which is led by Abdul Aziz al-Hakim. The group of the Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, which is linked to al-Qaida organization, clamed responsibility for the attack. This is the second attack claimed by this organization against offices of the this party in Baghdad following the explosion which took place on December 27, 2004 and resulted in killing 13 persons and injuring 66.

In a remarkable development, the interim Iraqi minister of the interior Falah al-Naqib warned against the eruption of a civil war in Iraq in case the Arab Sunni will not take part in the legislative elections which will be on Monday of this month.

In the same context, the interim Iraqi government announced it will close all the country's land borders with the neighboring states of January 29, 30 and 31 in order to enhance security measures during the elections.

A statement issued by the higher commission for the elections said that the measures will also include curfew on the movement of cars with the exception of pilgrims and licensed official cars`. No mention was made if the measures will include closure of the Baghdad International Airport or not.