Iraqi forces launch Diyala operation - CNN.com

Iraqi forces launch Diyala operation - CNN.com: "BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi security forces backed by the U.S. military launched an operation Tuesday targeting al Qaeda in Iraq and Shiite militias in the volatile Diyala province, Iraqi commanders said."

The operation, called Omens of Prosperity, began in the provincial capital, Baquba, where security forces have imposed a curfew and are encircling the city.

Troops are conducting raids against specific targets in Baquba, commanders said.

There have been a number of recent suicide bombings in Diyala, northeast of Baghdad. Watch violence mar religious pilgrimage »

A female suicide bomber struck an Awakening Council checkpoint last week, killing eight and wounding more than 20. Awakening Councils, whose members are predominantly Sunni, have been recruited by the U.S. military to work against al Qaeda in Iraq and other militias.

In mid-July, a twin suicide attack at an army recruitment center in Diyala killed 28 and wounding 64.