Heavy fighting erupted near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul between U.S.-led forces and insurgents on Saturday and at least 11 people were killed and 52 wounded, the U.S. military and hospital officials said. As fighting raged, a U.S. military helicopter was forced to land near the town of Tallafar, near Mosul, and the two crew members aboard the helicopter were injured, the U.S. military said. It was not clear what forced it to land.
Explosions and machinegun fire could be heard in Tallafar, a town west of Mosul, about 390 km (242 miles) north of Baghdad, a Reuters witness at Tallafar hospital said. He said many of the wounded included women and children. U.S. helicopters flew overhead and columns of smoke rose into the air. Doctors said nine civilians had been killed. "Civilians are being brought in into the hospital. We expect the number of casualties to increase," a doctor said.
The U.S. military said the fighting began when soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd U.S. Infantry Division, entered Tallafar, which the Americans say is a haven for suspected militants crossing into Iraq from Syria. A U.S. vehicle sent to seal off the site where the helicopter landed came under rocket-propelled grenade fire, prompting U.S. troops to fire back, killing two insurgents. No U.S. casualties were reported. Amid the fighting, U.S. ground troops called in air support, dropping a bomb in an area near Tallafar. No casualties were reported, the U.S. military said in a statement. |