BAQUBA, IRAQ - AROUND 30,000 Iraqi soldiers and policemen are poised to launch a military assault in Diyala province, bastion of Al-Qaeda fighters, from August 1, army and police officers said on Wednesday.

'The operation is aimed at cleansing the region of insurgents, Al-Qaeda and militias who are still there', a senior Iraqi military officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

He said around 30,000 Iraqi soldiers and policemen from various parts of the country would take part in the crackdown in the central Iraq province starting August 1.

'It will be an operation led by the Iraqi army. The US army will probably only watch... If they need help, we'll help them. If not, we will not do anything', a US military officer said.

Iraq's interior ministry spokesman Major General Abdul Karim Khalaf announced on July 13 that the Iraqi military would launch an assault in Diyala but did not specify the date.

He said troops expected tough fighting during the assault.

Diyala and its capital Baquba are Iraq's most dangerous regions with insurgents regularly carrying out attacks, including by female suicide bombers.

The assault in Diayla follows similar Iraqi military operations in the southern provinces of Basra and Maysan, and the northern province of Nineveh. -- AFP