Posted on 01/28/2007 11:06:07 AM PST by cgk
Edited on 01/28/2007 11:44:41 AM PST by Sidebar Moderator. [history]
| U.S., Iraqi forces kill 250 militants in Najaf Sun Jan 28, 2007 2:16 PM ET
NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. and Iraqi forces killed 250 gunmen in a fierce battle involving U.S. tanks and helicopters on the outskirts of the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf on Sunday, a senior Iraqi police officer said. The day-long battle was continuing after nightfall, Colonel Ali Nomas told Reuters, as tens of thousands of pilgrims converged on the nearby city of Kerbala for the climax of the Ashura commemorations. A U.S. helicopter was shot down in the fighting, Iraq security sources said. The U.S. military declined comment. A Reuters reporter saw a helicopter come down trailing smoke. Shi'ite political sources said the gunmen appeared to be both Sunni Arabs and Shi'ites loyal to a cleric called Ahmed Hassani. In Baghdad, 13 people were killed in bombings in mainly Shi'ite areas, police said. Twin car bombs targeting ethnic Kurds killed 16 people as night fell in the northern oil city of Kirkuk, whose population is a volatile mix of Kurds, Turkmen and Sunni and Shi'ite Arabs. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims have converged on Iraq's other main Shi'ite holy city, Kerbala, for Ashura, marking the 7th century Battle of Kerbala, which helped consolidate the schism between Shi'ite and Sunni Islam. It ends on Monday. It is the first time the 10-day annual ritual has been held since violence erupted last February between Iraq's majority Shi'ites and once-dominant minority Sunnis. Tens of thousands have since been killed in tit-for-tat killings. The governor of Najaf province said Iraqi troops fought a day-long battle with up to 200 Sunni gunmen, including foreign fighters, holed up in orchards on the northern outskirts of the city, seat of Iraq's most powerful Shi'ite clerics. Governor Asaad Abu Gilel told Reuters the authorities had uncovered a plot to kill some of the clerics on Monday, to coincide with the climax of Ashura. "There is a conspiracy to kill the clergy on the 10th day of Muharram," Najaf governor Abu Gilel said, referring to the day of the Muslim calendar on Monday. A Reuters reporter about 1.5 km (1 mile) from the fighting said he heard intense gunfire and saw U.S. helicopters rocket groves sheltering militants. He saw smoke trailing from one helicopter before it came down in the midst of the fighting. He was unable to see what had happened to the helicopter, but officers in Iraq's 8th Army Division and policemen said it had crashed and that the two crew members were dead. The U.S. military said it did not comment on operations still taking place. (Additional reporting by Aseel Kami, Sherko Raouf in Sulaimaniya) |
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Well, that's a new one. I haven't seen that name before.
I believe they're saying that at least a "close adviser" of Sadr was killed in this battle today...
....close, but not close enough!
I share your frustration...I wonder if Maliki and his minions would have been able to get tough without a Democratic congress breathing down his neck...it's like Clinton getting welfare reform through or Nixon going to China...the opposition may serve a purpose that we are unaware of...I pray for our soldiers and the CIC who is surely taking so many body blows lately.
Alleged religious fanatic = "Radical [i.e. mainstream] firebrand* Islamic cleric"?
*Fireband is Arabic for "raving maniac".
CNN says up to 300 dead terrorists in the operation.
France, China, Russia, North Korea; did I miss anybody?
Wow. Though my husband has been getting ABC News breaks during his talk radio batches - and he says the same thing. It's all bad news, nothing positive. Gloom, doom. No more room.
Iran?
CNN says up to 300 dead terrorists in the operation.
This is really gonna upset the Code Pinko and Hanoi Jane crowd...hehehehe
IRAN
I'm confused. Do Muslims attack each other more or less during their religious holidays?
"US TANKS AND HELICOPTERS ARE INVOLVED"
Read, "VICTORY IS INVOLVED."
:D GMTA!
Charon will be working overtime today.
"US TANKS AND HELICOPTERS ARE INVOLVED"
I'm loving this!!!!
Thank you for posting this. I love waking up to this news! Nothing warms my heart like these perverts being snuffed out by our warriors. The more the better. Keep up the outstanding work men!!
Yep. Or Syria, but probably Iran. Bought on the international market from either the Russians or the Chinese, perhaps indirectly through North Korea or one of the African dealers. But there's a state actor behind this, bet on it.
I think you took a day off. Did you get permission?
Ammo soaked in pigs blood. Let the muzzies know that one hit is instant damnation.
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