 Al-Qaeda in Iraq was pitching a last-ditch effort to retain control of their self-declared capital.On 27 May while clearing Chibernat, a village north of Baqubah, seven Iraqi hostages were rescued from an Al Qaeda torture center.While clearance of eastern Baqubah was being completed, Task Force Regulars was able to successfully isolate and contain the western half of the city, composed of Mufrek, Mujema, and Khatoon.