Al-Qaida's branch in Iraq claimed responsibility on Friday for a stunning jailbreak last week that was followed by a wave of deadly attacks across the country that left 26 dead. In a statement posted on a militant website, the Islamic State of Iraq said the attacks, mostly bombings using explosive-rigged parked cars, were launched against "carefully selected targets" in Baghdad and some other provinces. The group, also called the Islamic State of Iraq, has said that both the freeing of its prisoners and the assassination of officials are top priorities, part of a general offensive intended to retake Sunni towns and districts that were once al-Qaida strongholds. Last Sunday's coordinated blasts, stretching from the northern city of Kirkuk through Baghdad to Iraq's Shiite-dominated south, mostly targeted Shiite neighborhoods and Iraqi security forces. In all, at least 26 people died. In Friday's statement, the al-Qaida-linked group said these attacks were in response to "atrocities committed by the Shiite government against the Sunni prisoners." The militant group also claimed responsibility for a Sept. 27 prison break in Saddam Hussein's hometown, in which prisoners seized weapons and clashed with security forces in an hours-long standoff. Twelve people died and dozens of al-Qaida inmates escaped.
