Baqubah (Arabic: بعقوبة‎; BGN: Ba‘qūbah; also spelled Baquba and Baqouba) is the capital of Iraq's Diyala Governorate. The Arabic alphabet is the script used for writing Arabic and various other languages, together with various closely related scripts that typically differ in the presence or absence of a few letters. ... The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is an American federal body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the U.S. government. ... Diyala (Arabic: ديالى) is one of the constituent governorates of the nation of Iraq. ...

The city is located at 33°45′N 44°38′E, some 50 km to the northeast of Baghdad, on the Diyala River, within Iraq's so-called Sunni Triangle. In 2002 it had an estimated population of some 280,000 people. Baghdad (Arabic ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... Map of Mesopotamia showing the Diyala River The Diyala River is a river and tributary of the Tigris that runs through Iran and Iraq. ... Map of the Sunni Triangle The Sunni Triangle refers to a roughly triangular area of Iraq to the northwest of Baghdad. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

The site has been inhabited continuously since pre-Islamic times as a center for agriculture and commerce. The name itself is thought to have come from the Assyrian language Baya 'quba, meaning “Yacoub's (Jacob) house.” It served as a waystation between Baghdad and Khorasan on the medieval Silk Road. It is now known as the center of Iraq's commercial orange groves. Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... The term Assyrian language can mean one of: Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: a language spoken in Israel, Syria, and Mesopotamia from perhaps 700 BC until now. ... Khorasan (Persian: خراسان) (also transcribed as Khurasan and Khorassan; Horasan in Turkish) is a region located in eastern Iran. ... The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is an interconnected series of routes through Southern Asia mainly connecting Changan (todays Xian) in China, with Asia Minor and the Mediterranean. ...

During the course of the U.S-led occupation of Iraq, Baquba emerged as the scene of some of the heaviest guerrilla activity, along with the Sunni enclaves of Fallujah, Ramadi, and Samarra. It was the site of the heaviest fighting during the June 24, 2004 insurgent offensive. Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad, led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, took responsibility for the attacks. Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Fallujah skyline Fallujah (Arabic: ‎; sometimes transliterated as Falluja or Fallouja) is a city in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar, located roughly 69 km (43 miles) west of Baghdad on the Euphrates. ... Saddam Mosque Ramadi (Arabic: ‎ ; BGN: Ar RamādÄ«) is a city in central Iraq, about 100 kilometers west of Baghdad. ... Map showing Samarra near Baghdad Sāmarrā (سامراء) is a town in Iraq ( ). It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Salah ad Din Governorate, 125 km north of Baghdad and, in 2002, had an estimated population of 201,700. ... June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 190 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jamaat al-Tawhid wal Jihad members with Shosei Koda and with the banner in the background Jamaat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (Arabic: جماعة ال�توحيد والجهاد, Monotheism and Holy Struggle Movement) is the... Wikinews has news related to: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi killed in airstrike Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (Arabic: ‎, ) (October 20, 1966 – June 7, 2006) led Al-Qaeda in Iraq until his death in June 2006. ...

In a setback for insurgents, Iraqi and U.S. officials confirmed on June 8, 2006, that al-Zarqawi had been killed in an airstrike and subsequent raid 8 km (5 miles) north of Baquba.[1] During late 2006, however, Baqubah and much of Diyala province were reported to have come under Sunni insurgent control. [2] On January 3, 2007 the previous Iraqi government in Baquba was reported to have fallen, leaving the city in the hands of insurgents fighting against the American led coalition in Operation Iraqi Freedom.This insurgent control is reported to have continued as of early 2007[3]. In January 2007, it was reported [4] that Sunni insurgents were able to kidnap the mayor and blow up his office, despite promises from American and Iraqi military officials that the situation in the city was "reassuring and under control". The city at its peak had over 300,000 residents, but a February 2007 report labeled the city a "ghost town" as residents either fled criminal and sectarian violence or remained in hiding at home. [5] June 8 is the 159th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (160th in leap years), with 206 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in one of eight photos from Rewards for Justice, all undated. ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD (or CE) era. ... For other uses of the term, see Iraq war (disambiguation) The 2003 invasion of Iraq (also called the 2nd or 3rd Persian Gulf War) began on March 20, 2003, when forces belonging primarily to the United States and the United Kingdom invaded Iraq arguably without the explicit backing of the...

Attacks during Iraq war

The following is a list of deadly attacks in the city during 2006. ^[1]

• June 7, 2006: A U.S. airstrike kills Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the former leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, near Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad.
• June 26, 2006: At least 25 people are killed in a bicycle bombing in the city, according to police.
• Oct. 3, 2006: In a string of deadly attacks, gunmen open fire on a Shiite family fleeing the city, killing five of them. Ten others are killed in shooting and bombing incidents, and 10 bodies are found in the city, the apparent victims of sectarian slayings.
• Oct. 26, 2006: Insurgents ambush a police unit, killing 24 policemen and one civilian. Eight insurgents are killed in subsequent fighting with police and U.S. troops, the military says.
• Nov. 12, 2006: Fifty bodies are found dumped behind the offices of the provincial electric company, according to the Iraqi army's provincial public affairs office.
• Nov. 29, 2006: Fighting between police and insurgents after an attack on Baqouba's police headquarters shuts down the city, closing the university, schools and most stores, and clearing the streets of everyone, except a few who scurry about to stock up on food. At least 55 militants are killed in clashes in the preceding days, according to anonymous police sources.
• Nov. 30, 2006: The U.S. military says Iraqi forces find 28 bodies in a mass grave south of Baqouba, following days of heavy fighting that killed scores of people in and around the city.
• Dec. 2, 2006: U.S. and Iraqi forces begin an offensive in the city in response to fighting that raged for a week between Sunni insurgents and police. Ahmed Fuad, a senior morgue official, says the morgue received 102 bodies in the previous two weeks.
• Dec. 3, 2006: Some 16 bodies — apparent victims of sectarian death squads — are found.
• Dec. 29, 2006: Ten bodies showing signs of torture are found dumped on the streets of the city, police and morgue officials say.

External links

• Military Bases in Baquba

See also

• List of places in Iraq