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Report: Al-Qaida in Iraq Names New 'War Minister'


A U.S.-based intelligence organization says an al-Qaida-linked militant group in Iraq has picked a new "war minister."

The SITE group says the group, known as the Islamic State of Iraq, named al-Nasser Lideen Allah Abu Suleiman on jihadist internet forums Friday.

He was quoted as saying "dark days soaked with blood" are ahead for Iraqi Shi'ites.

The statement comes after U.S. and Iraqi forces killed two al-Qaida in Iraq leaders, Abu Ayyub al-Masri and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi in a raid last month.

Since then, militants have carried out waves of attacks in apparent retaliation for the raid.

Iraqi officials say at least 10 people were injured Friday when a bomb exploded as worshippers were leaving a mosque in a predominantly Shi'ite area south of Baghdad.

Bombings and shootings across Iraq killed at least 119 people Monday - the country's worst day of violence this year. Iraqi officials blamed al-Qaida-linked militants for the violence, but there was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.

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