NY Times: Iraqi Forces in Fierce Battle With Gunmen ~ US copter down....250 militants down...

New York Times ^ | January 29, 2007 | DAMIEN CAVE

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

BAGHDAD, Jan. 28 — Iraqi forces backed by American helicopters and tanks battled hundreds of gunmen hiding in a date palm orchard near the southern city of Najaf on Sunday, exchanging fire for 15 hours in what appeared to be one of deadliest battles in years, Iraqi officials said.

An American helicopter was shot down and 250 bodies were found where the clashes occurred near the village of Zarqaa, about 120 miles south of Baghdad, by a river and a large grain silo that is surrounded by orchards, the Iraqi officials said.

Col. Ali Numaas, a spokesman for the Iraqi security forces in Najaf, said that the fighting stopped just after 10 p.m. local time and that most of those killed were gunmen. An employee at a local morgue said at least two Iraqi policemen were among the dead.

The United States military confirmed in a statement that the helicopter went down, that two soldiers aboard were killed, and that their bodies had been recovered. The crash is under investigation.

Asad Abu Ghalal, the governor of Najaf Province, said that the fighters in the orchard were Iraqi and foreign, some wearing the brown, white and maroon regalia of Pakistani and Afghan fighters. He said they had come to assassinate Shiite clerics and attack religious convoys that are gathering in Najaf, one of Shiite Islam’s holiest cities, and other southern cities for Ashura, a Shiite holiday that starts Monday night and runs through Tuesday morning.

At a news conference Sunday afternoon, he said they called themselves “soldiers of heaven” and seemed to be part of a wider effort to disrupt Ashura. The holiday commemorates the seventh-century death of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein in a battle at Karbala, where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims have already started gathering.

[oceanview]

the surge has begun?

[Marine_Uncle]

It is interesting to see more of the "other types" that want to see the Shia dog put into the grave. These people are flaming assholes to say the least. I sense Maliki now has come to a point where he sees the only option is a tough military/police action.

[bnelson44]

Asad Abu Ghalal, the governor of Najaf Province, said that the fighters in the orchard were Iraqi and foreign, some wearing the brown, white and maroon regalia of Pakistani and Afghan fighters

Well, that would be Sunni. Wonder if the offshoot Shiite sect made alliances with some al-Qaeda goons for this hit?

[Parley Baer]

“soldiers of heaven”. Well they found it. Hope there are plenty more to follow.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From the Pakistani Times:

Assault on Insurgents: Over 250 Killed in battle in Iraq
‘Pakistan Times’ Monitoring Desk

**************************AN EXCERPT ******************************

NAJAF (Iraq): U.S. and Iraqi forces killed 250 gunmen in a fierce battle involving U.S. tanks and helicopters on the outskirts of holy city of Najafon Sunday, an Iraqi police officer said.

The day-long battle was continuing after nightfall, Colonel Ali Nomas told media.

Political sources said the gunmen appeared to be loyal to acleric called Ahmed Hassani.

An earlier report from Baghdad said that U.S.-backed Iraqi troops on Sunday attacked insurgents killing at least 250 in the daylong battle near Najaf.

A U.S. helicopter crashed during the fight, killing two American soldiers.

*************************************************

In addition to confirming the two Americans killed in the helicopter crash near Najaf, the U.S. command announced three combat deaths from Saturday.

Authorities said Iraqi soldiers supported by U.S. aircraft fought all day with a large group of insurgents in the Zaraq area, about 12 miles northeast of the holy city of Najaf.

Col. Ali Nomas, spokesman for Iraqi security forces in Najaf, said more than 250 corpses had been found. Iraqi army Maj. Gen. Othman al-Ghanemi also spoke of 250 dead but said an exact number would not be released until Monday. He said 10 gunmen had been captured, including one Sudanese.

Officials were unclear about the religious affiliation of the militants.

Perspective

Iraqi soldiers attacked at dawn and militants hiding in orchards fought back with automatic weapons, sniper rifles and rockets, the governor said. He said the insurgents were members of a previously unknown group called the Army of Heaven.

"They are well-equipped and they even have anti-aircraft missiles," the governor said. "They are backed by some locals" loyal to deposed-President Saddam Hussein, who has already been hanged to death.

Abu Kilel said two Iraqi policemen were killed and 15 wounded, but there was no word on other Iraqi government casualties.

A U.S. statement said the American helicopter went down while "conducting operations to assist Iraqi Security Forces" in the attack. It said two crew members died and their bodies were recovered. The statement did not give any information on why the aircraft crashed.

***********************************************************

The U.S. command announced the arrest of 21 suspected terrorists, including an al-Qaida courier, in a series of raids in Baghdad and in areas north and west of the capital. Three are believed to have close ties to the leadership of al-Qaida in Iraq, the military said.●

[lmr]

Those men in the helicopter did not die in vain. We got over 200 of theirs. Sounds like a pitched battle, hopefully when these Jihadi's see only death as the outcome, they will fade into the population. Until that day, let's keep a nice supply of ugly virgins for them.

To Liberals and Islamists

[Marine_Uncle]

Sure looks like the case, except the envisioned surge has not even started yet. Just some prelims by all accounts.

Eyeballs are weary. Hands are sore from ripping open lots of boxes at work to extract items to be shelved. Time to lay this old carcass down to sleep. All, do have a great upcoming day.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From post #6.....a little detail ......

"They are well-equipped and they even have anti-aircraft missiles,"

And Foreigners from Pakistan and Afghan.....this sounds like it might be an al_Queda operation trying to disguise itself in some clever way.........

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From deeper in the Times article:

Two senior Shiite clerics said, however, that the gunmen were part of a Shiite splinter group that Saddam Hussein helped build in the 1990s to compete with followers of the venerated religious leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. They said the group, calling itself the Mehwadiya, was loyal to Ahmad bin al-Hassan al-Basri, an Iraqi cleric who had a falling out with Muhammad Bakr al-Sadr — father-in-law of the Shiite leader Moktada al-Sadr — in Hawza, a revered Shiite seminary in Najaf.

The clerics spoke on condition of anonymity because they said they had been ordered not to discuss Shiite divisions.

Iraqi officials said the group of 100 to 500 fighters was discovered in the orchard Saturday night, leading to a midnight meeting of local authorities who hatched an attack plan.

[oceanview]

this is going to be a major issue in the surge - our rules of engagement over the last 1+ years have allowed the insurgency to build infrastructure, amass weapons and equipment, store them someplace, and equip their fighters with them now. these aren't just some guys with AK47s and small arms, and IEDs they make by digging out buried artillery shells, we are facing anymore.

[rip033]

CNN spoke tonight about 600 men armed with highly sophisticated weapons being involved in this fight today in Najef. The post above mentions uniformed men, "Army of Heaven"? I suspect IRGC, Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The raid last week on Karbala (four US officers abducted from a secured compound and killed) and this leads me to believe that there's more here than Al-Qaeda or Sunni Insurgents. Another helo I think was downed last week, Blackhawk I think, by a SAM! Iran has its hands all over this.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Al Maliki got lucky today. If this succeeded, there would have been no way to hold the Shiites back from slaughtering Sunnis. This could have been the battle that prevented a civil war.

Al Maliki now owes us. Now would be a good time to put a few hundred "spec ops" on both the Iranian and Syrian borders with orders to capture, torture and kill anything that goes in either direction. This includes livestock.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Think I need to link back to the Reuters report ...a long thread:

U.S., Iraqi forces kill 250 militants in Najaf

[april15Bendovr]

Which side is the NY Times on in this battle?

They should be careful they don't get shot as they stand behind the terrorists.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I've got a little thing I paste into threads when it seems to make sense,,,,

****************************************

The press is the propaganda arm of the American left and they have an agenda...see this:

Unholy Alliance: Radical Islam and the American Left

[freema]

Surge is still a way off, from what I understand. Pelosi and murtha are busy securing Baghad and don't need reinforcements just yet.

; )

[april15Bendovr]

David Horowitz is the man

[TexasKate]

Have you seen their latest article with the Iranian ambassador to Iraq?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/29/world/middleeast/29iranians.html?ei=5094&en=d4deb1d521cb8706&hp=&ex=1170046800&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print

They describe the US as "INCREASINGLY BELLIGERENT" towards Iran!!! Unbelievable.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Dropping a link to his Web Site:

FrontPageMagazine.com