Aswat al-Iraq: Combined Iraqi-U.S. forces on Saturday conducted a security raid on gunmen in Balad district, killing three of them and arresting 13 others, said a source from Salah al-Din police. "The operation started after Friday (Feb. 6) midnight," the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. "It targeted al-Qaeda organization's safe havens at Talal-Thahab village, 10 km east of Balad," he said. "The forces engaged with the gunmen, and the campaign continued until Saturday afternoon," he added. He noted that the forces seized different kinds of arms during the operation. Iraqi police forces and Sahwa (Awakening) tribal fighters are still tracking down some of the gunmen at the village's orchards, according to the source. For their part, local residents said that they saw U.S. helicopters striking two houses where gunmen were hiding.