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| Iraq |
| Dozens Die in Iraq |
| 2007-09-30 |
| Dozens of Insurgents Die in Iraq Battles Sep 30 04:23 PM US/Eastern By STEVEN R. HURST Associated Press Writer BAGHDAD (AP) - U.S. and Iraqi forces killed more than 60 insurgent and militia fighters in intense battles over the weekend, with most of the casualties believed to have been al-Qaida fighters, officials said Sunday. U.S. aircraft killed more than 20 al-Qaida fighters who opened fire on an American air patrol northwest of Baghdad, the U.S. command said. The firefight between U.S. aircraft and the insurgent fighters occurred Saturday about 17 miles northwest of the capital, the military said. The aircraft observed about 25 al-Qaida insurgents carrying AK-47 assault rifles—one brandishing a rocket-propelled grenade—walking into a palm grove, the military said. "Shortly after spotting the men, the aircraft were fired upon by the insurgent fighters," it said. The military did not say what kind of aircraft were involved but the fact that the fighters opened fire suggests they were low-flying Apache helicopters. The command said more than 20 of the group were killed and four vehicles were destroyed. No Iraqi civilians or U.S. soldiers were hurt. "Coalition forces have dealt significant blows to Al-Qaida Iraq in recent months, including the recent killing of the Tunisian head of the foreign fighter network in Iraq and the blows struck in the past 24 hours," military spokesman Col. Steven Boylan told The Associated Press. Iraq's Defense Ministry said in an e-mail Sunday afternoon that Iraqi soldiers had killed 44 "terrorists" over the past 24 hours. The operations were centered in Salahuddin and Diyala provinces and around the city of Kirkuk, where the ministry said its soldiers had killed 40 and arrested eight. It said 52 fighters were arrested altogether. The ministry did not further identify those killed, but use of the word "terrorists" normally indicates al-Qaida. In a separate operation, U.S. forces killed two insurgents and detained 21 others during weekend operations "to disrupt al-Qaida in Iraq networks in the Tigris River Valley." Intelligence led to a raid early Sunday that netted what the U.S. military called 15 rogue members of the Mahdi Army militia at an undisclosed Baghdad location. The mainstream of the militia, the armed wing of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's organization, has been ordered by the religious leader to stop attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces. But many one-time members of the group have split off and are acting independently of al-Sadr's control. Some have gone to Iran for training and are receiving weapons and financing from the Islamic regime in Tehran. |
| Posted by:Glenmore |
| #6 great headline...AP SNAFU |
| Posted by: KBK 2007-09-30 21:46 |
| #5 But many one-time members of the group have split off and are acting independently of al-Sadr's control. Some have gone to Iran for training and are receiving weapons and financing from the Islamic regime in Tehran. All the while, pretending to negotiate about this with Ahmadinejad, al-Maliki continues to piss in our ear and tell us it's raining. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-09-30 19:53 |
| #4 "Mr. AK-47, meet Mr. 30mm minigun". |
| Posted by: Brett 2007-09-30 19:43 |
| #3 The firefight between U.S. aircraft and the insurgent fighters I LOL'ed but then again I am weak. |
| Posted by: Thomas Woof 2007-09-30 18:47 |
| #2 I like "firefights between U.S. aircraft and the insurgent fighters"....I'd take our side and points |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-09-30 18:42 |
| #1 Yo, Glenmore - Please be more specific about who died, my heart was in my throat. Maybe dozens of scumbags died or something like that... |
| Posted by: Unique Battle 2007-09-30 17:57 |