In a statement posted on militant forums online, the ISI said that Sunday's deadly blasts, which also wounded 200 people, were the "fifth wave" of its campaign of mass casualty attacks on Iraqi government targets that began in mid-2009, according to the US-based SITE Intelligence Group.

Two of the explosions were suicide attacks against the Egyptian consulate and the Iranian embassy, while a third struck an intersection near the German, Spanish and Syrian missions.

Starting with those attacks, all embassies and international political organizations that deal with the Shiite-dominated Iraqi government would be considered legitimate targets, ISI said.

"The mujahedeen will not hesitate to strike, wherever it is locat(ed) and no matter the level of its fortification," the statement warned, according to a SITE translation.

In a separate statement posted on extremist online forums, the group denied any role in six blasts that killed at least 35 people and destroyed residential buildings in mostly Shiite neighborhoods of Baghdad on Tuesday, SITE said.

"Despite our clear and declared position regarding the Rafidah Shiites -- sect and notables -- in this country and elsewhere, we deny responsibility for the bombings that targeted residential buildings in different locations in Baghdad on Tuesday," the message read.

The string of bomb attacks, which a top Baghdad official likened to "open war" with remnants of Al-Qaeda, sparked fears that insurgents are making a return due to a political impasse following March 7 elections.

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News