BAGHDAD AWAKES TO NEWS OF MILITARY COUP

January 12, 2010 - 07:51:04

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Baghdad’s residents woke up today to the scene of security forces deployed to the capital’s neighborhoods and districts, with rumors of a military coup and the killing of a “prominent politician.”

The residents, including students, were asked by security forces to return home.
Alaa Maher, a teacher who lives in eastern Baghdad, told Aswat al-Iraq news agency that security forces had foiled a military coup attempted by “Sunni officers” and imposed a curfew that “will not last for long.”
Meanwhile, rumors have been going around about the killing of a prominent lawmaker, who was one of the key planners of the alleged coup.
A spokesperson for the Baghdad Operations Command (BOC), Maj. Gen. Qassem Ata, denied the news about a military plot to overthrow the government.
Speaking to Aswat al-Iraq, the official said that security forces are conducting search raids in some parts of the capital and have blocked some roads leading to the areas included in the search operations. He also denied the imposition of a partial or a total curfew.
Earlier today, several eyewitnesses told Aswat al-Iraq that a curfew had been imposed since an early hour on Tuesday morning in some areas of the capital.
According to the agency’s sources, a partial curfew has included the Karkh’s areas of al-Aameriya, al-Jihad, al-Yarmok, al-Mansour, in addition Sadr City and al-Shaab area in the eastern side of Rasafa.

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