Iraq militant group urges Sunnis to fight Shiites

Dubai: An Iraqi militant group urged its Sunni followers to fight Shiite Muslims in a “battle of destiny,'' a statement posted on the internet said on Thursday.

“Baghdad is your (Sunni) city. Do not leave it for the strangers who intend to expel you; it is a battle of destiny now, to be or not to be,'' the Islamic Army in Iraq said in a statement posted on a main Islamist website.

The group has previously claimed responsibility for attacks on US troops and the kidnapping of foreigners.

A spate of sectarian violence has killed hundreds of Iraqis in the past nine months.

Iraqi soldiers found 28 bodies on Wednesday in a mass grave near the volatile city of Baquba, where dozens are killed every week in violence, the US military said in a statement on Thursday.

Powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr has urged Sunnis to stop killing his followers, while Sunni leaders call on Shiites to dissolve “Death Squads'' blamed for killings of Sunnis.

The Islamic Army in Iraq said, “They (Shiites) have sold themselves to Iran and Persian interests and it is an honour to fight until Judgement Day to stop the enemies of our jihad.''
“If we cede jihad the result will be surrendering and handing our lives, families and homes to them (Shiites). We become frightened inside our homes and wait until Death Squads pierce our bodies,'' it added.