11 armed assailants killed in Iraq operations, US says
Coalition forces were responding to armed attacks on their convoy in the Iraqi capital
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Saturday, 12, Apr 2008 09:52
Coalition forces in Baghdad claimed to have killed 11 armed assailants in operations in the Iraqi capital, according to the US military.
A spokesperson for the coalition forces said two convoys returned fire after coming under fire and seeing their vehicles hit by roadside bombs.
In the first operation soldiers killed two snipers, two attackers using rocket-propelled grenades and several others who were firing from nearby buildings.
Soldiers from another brigade were transporting materials to help set up a checkpoint when two of the vehicles were damaged in explosions. The troops then came under attack but killed four members of "special groups" in the ensuing gunbattle.
Major John Gossart said: “The most important part about what happened is that this was a combined mission, only two vehicles were damaged, no US or Iraqi Army soldiers were seriously injured, and we went on to complete our mission.”
Later in the day US troops killed three others after firing Hellfire missiles targeting men installing explosive devices.
Coalition forces launched operations in Baghdad last month to target the militias of Iraqi leader Moqtada al-Sadr. Hundreds of people have died in the clashes which continue in spite of the cleric's decision to ask his followers to lay down their arms against troops in the area.