| Rebels killed 12 members of an Iraqi security force in a mortar attack in the flashpoint town of Falluja Wednesday, the force said. It was the first time guerrillas have attacked General Mohammed Latif’s Falluja Brigade since it set out to pacify Iraq’s most rebellious town west of Baghdad last month following fierce fighting between U.S. troops and insurgents. Officers in the force told Reuters 10 people were wounded in the attack. Witnesses said the mortar attack hit a camp housing security forces. They said Latif was not in the area at the time and no U.S. forces could be seen. The attack will put Latif’s security forces through their first major test and raise questions over whether the Americans will redeploy their positions closer to the town. U.S. troops are still within striking distance of Falluja but the American military has tried to keep a low profile to give attempts to calm Falluja an Iraqi face. Members of the force said a joint patrol with American troops had been scheduled to pass through Falluja at the time of the attack. |