Via the redoubtable Dubhaltach, our first class stringer with Gorilla’s Guides

Diala, Oct 14, (VOI)- Unknown gunmen on Sunday blew up a bridge linking 25 villages to Baaquba, capital city of Diala province, while gunmen deployed in the area following the attack, a security source said.

"An armed group blew up, today at noon, al-Windiyah bridge in al-Salam area, Khalis district," the source, who requested anonymity, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

The source added "the bridge links 25 villages to Baaquba city."

Armed groups blow up bridges to cut off roads leading to their strongholds in order to prevent surprise assaults against them by Iraqi and U.S. forces.

"Gunmen deployed in the area after the attack," the source added.
Baaquba is located 57 km northeast of Baghdad.

I’d be inclined to not put a great deal of faith in the statement about blowing bridges in order to isolate “gunmen” from occupation authorities reprisals because MNF-I has some excellent air assets available, and as we have recently seen MNF-I is as likely to attack suspected resistance fighters by air as by ground forces. The "gunmen" have a need for unhindered mobility, and dropped bridges would impede their movement more than US or Iraqi Army forces.

This is the general area in which a number of civilians were killed and wounded by occupation aircraft on Friday, October 5th.

The War of the Bridges series

The Bridges of Iraq

The War of the Bridges

Another Bridge Attack

Baghdad Bridges Falling Down

The Daily Bridge Attack

Balad Bridge

Pitrokimiwiat Bridge

Thiraa Dilja Bridge

Two Bridges in Anbar

The Bridge War Goes On

Windiyah Bridge Destroyed