Military: Sunni insurgents battling each other in Iraq as splits with al-Qaeda deepen

MUQDADIYAH, Iraq – At least two major insurgent groups are battling al-Qaeda in provinces outside Baghdad, American military commanders said Friday, an indication of a deepening rift between Sunni guerrilla groups in Iraq.

U.S. officers say a growing number of Sunni tribes are turning against al-Qaeda, repelled by the terror group's sheer brutality and austere religious extremism. The tribes are competing with al-Qaeda for influence and control over diminishing territory in the face of U.S. assaults, the officers say. The influx of Sunni fighters to areas outside the capital in advance of the security crackdown in Baghdad may have further unsettled the region.

“This is a big turning point,” U.S. Maj. David Baker said Friday in the Diyala provincial capital of Baqouba. “If they are fighting against each other, it's better than them fighting against us.”

Read the rest at the San Diego Tribune

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