Special report: Tension escalates in Iraq     

    BAGHDAD, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A major Sunni political party on Sunday criticized the ongoing U.S.-Iraqi military operation in the province of Diyala northeast of Baghdad for heavy civilian casualties caused by it.

    The Iraqi Islamic Party, headed by Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, accused the U.S. troops and the Iraqi government of conducting "collective punishment" against residents of the city of Baquba, the capital of Diyala province.

    The party said in a statement that the U.S. forces and aircraft bombed several neighborhoods in western Baquba, causing more than 350 people dead, whose bodies are still under the debris.

    Calling for a halt to the "massacre," the party highlighted the necessity to "distinguish between gunmen and innocent civilians."

    Since June 19, more than 10,000 U.S.-Iraqi troops, including 2,000 Iraqi soldiers and policemen, backed by U.S. aircraft, have launched a massive assault aimed at hunting for the al-Qaida militants operating in and around Baquba, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad.

    A U.S. military statement said Saturday that at least 60 al-Qaida operatives have been killed since the start of the operation dubbed "Operation Arrowhead Ripper."