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| Iraq |
| US military confirms operations in Hillah, Basra |
| 2008-04-04 |
| BAGHDAD - US military forces in Iraq on Thursday confirmed operations in the cities of Hillah and Basra, but did not confirm earlier casualty reports. In the southern city of Basra, US airstrikes destroyed a house in the Kobla district. According to earlier reports the attack killed four civilians. The US military confirmed the air raids were conducted by a US fixed wing aircraft, but said there was no reports of any civilians killed. Sources at IraqÂ’s Defence Ministry said Iraqi army forces detained the leader of Thaar-Allah Shiite party, the Voices of Iraq (VOI) news agency reported. The Shiite party leader, Youssef Sinawy, was taken from his house in Basra together with his three brothers. A Sinawy security guard was killed after heavy clashes with Iraqi troops. Sinawy is listed among the targeted militants in the security operation launched by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, reports said. Thaar-Allah was established in 2005 as a political movement and became a party after elections in Basra city. In 2006, the Shiite party has been involved in several clashes with the Iraqi police. Since then, Thaar-Allah has been accused by Iraqi forces of committing violent crimes in the city. In Hillah, south of Baghdad, two terrorist suspects were detained and three civilians wounded during a military operation, US forces said, adding that the incident was under investigation. Earlier reports said night guards by mistake opened fire on a US patrol early Thursday in Jamiyah, a district in the city centre. Later, a US gunship shelled the scene of the shooting, killing five policemen and injuring 11, including two women in their homes, the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said. Seven people were killed and 12 injured in a suicide bombing in the northern city of Mosul last night, VOI reported. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #2 Yup, you always clear all deadwood and underbrush BEFORE you cut down any tree. (Plenty of room to fall.) |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2008-04-04 14:55 |
| #1 Chopping down the little weeds all around Sadr. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-04-04 09:31 |