Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki took personal charge Wednesday of a military operation to rout al-Qaida in its last major stronghold, even a tenuous cease-fire took hold over Baghdad's embattled Shiite Sadr City slum, according to AP. The campaign in the northern city of Mosul was the third by al-Maliki in two months as he attempts to stamp out Shiite militants and Sunni extremists. But even as al-Maliki directed operations against al-Qaida in Iraq, extremists probably belonging to the organization used a young girl strapped with explosives to kill an Iraqi captain, and injure four soldiers south of Baghdad on Wednesday. Iraqi Army Lt. Ahmed Ali said the explosives were detonated as the girl approached the Iraqi commander in Youssifiyah, in the area once known as the Triangle of Death. Both Iraqi and American spokesmen confirmed that the attack took place, and the U.S. military said it was investigating further. Maj. John Hall, a coalition spokesman, said U.S. reports indicated one Iraqi solider was killed and seven wounded.
