Iraqi forces attacked a militant stronghold in crisis-hit Anbar province today, while authorities found 14 bullet-riddled bodies in scenes harkening back to the worst of Iraq's sectarian war.
The latest unrest, a day after nationwide attacks killed 73 people and gunmen made key territorial gains in Anbar, comes amid fears the country is sliding back into the worst of the brutal Sunni-Shiite conflict which left tens of thousands dead in 2006 and 2007.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon and other diplomats have urged Baghdad to pursue political reconciliation with the disaffected Sunni minority to end the weeks-long standoff in Anbar and the months-long surge in violence, Iraq's worst since 2008.
But with parliamentary elections looming in April, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has ruled out dialogue with fighters who control parts of Anbar provincial capital Ramadi and all of Fallujah, which lies on Baghdad's doorstep.
Early today, around 3,000 security personnel, comprised of units from the elite Golden Brigade linked to Maliki's office, and the interior ministry's Rapid Intervention Force, attacked an alleged militant camp in Albubali, an area comprising villages and rural farmland between Ramadi and Fallujah.
They were backed by tanks and aircraft, according to a senior police officer and a policeman.
"The main target is to take control of this area (Albubali)," the officer said.
They also aimed to recover the bodies of eight members of the security forces -- four of whom have been missing for several days and have since been confirmed dead, and four others who were killed when a booby-trapped house collapsed on them.
