The Iraqi army command in Diyala province thwarted an attempted missile attack on a tribal gathering in Khalis, south of Baqubah, it announced Saturday (February 4th).

Diyala military operations command spokesperson Col. Muhsin al-Karawi told Al-Shorfa that the army arrested four gunmen in an agricultural field with two Katyusha rocket launchers and medium-range missiles. The weapons were directed towards the town centre, where the first tribal national reconciliation conference was being held.

Al-Karawi said al-Qaeda was behind the plan to massacre scores of tribal sheikhs and leaders who were attending the conference inside large pavilions set up in the town's central celebration square.