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Baghdad: Sunni insurgent groups including Al Qaida in Iraq have called for revenge attacks following a second rape allegation against the Shiite-dominated security forces.
Al Qaida in Iraq leader, Abu Hamza Al Muhajir, also known as Abu Ayyub Al Masri, reportedly called on his followers on Thursday to step up attacks on Iraqi security forces in retaliation to the alleged rapes in Baghdad and the northern town of Tal Afar, near the Syrian border.
He also claimed in an audio tape that 300 followers volunteered for suicide missions within hours of hearing news of the alleged rape in Baghdad, which the woman said took place in a police compound. The authenticity of the tape has not yet been verified.
At least six groups, including Al Qaida in Iraq, have called for revenge since the first rape claim was made on Monday, according to IntelCenter, a US group that tracks extremist messages.
The latest rape allegation, made by a 50-year-old woman from Tal Afar, is likely to further undermine the reputation of the Iraqi forces that Washington hopes can soon take over from US and allied forces so they can return home.
The rape allegations by Sunni Arab women, particularly that of a 20-year-old who said she was raped by three policemen last weekend, have angered Sunni politicians, as well as the insurgent groups.
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