Zarqawi announces vast war on Shiite

In a taped message, distributed on one sites on the Internet, the leader of al-Qaida organization in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, announced comprehensive war against "the Shiite wherever they are in Iraq."

He urged the Sunnis to wake up from their sleep because the "war to exterminate them will not be stopped." He added "the invasion of revenge" operations is a reaction to the government attack on Tel-Afer.

Zarqawi considered that the crusaders allied with the Shiites against the Sunnis in Iraq, noting "what had happened in Tel-Afer is an explosion." He threatened every one who takes part in the campaign in the city that kills and demolishes or burns houses.

Zarqawi challenged the Iraqi officials to get out of their "hiding place in the Green Zone to face al-Mujahideen (fighters)."

This came hours after al-Qaida organization claimed responsibility for the explosions which targeted Baghdad on Wednesday announcing what he described the beginning of the revenge operations in retaliation to the attack carried out by the American and Iraqi forces against Tel-Afer city, north of Baghdad.

This came while violent clashes continue between the American and the Iraqi forces and the armed elements which are fortified in al-Saray quarters in the center of Tel-Afer city which is witnessing vast breaking-in and detention operations.

A statement issued by the Iraqi cabinet said that the military operation in Tel-Afer resulted so far in killing 157 gunmen and detaining 440 of them and disclosing 23 weapons stores.