| WASHINGTON, April 16, 2007 – Coalition forces killed at least three enemy fighters and nabbed 11 others during operations across Iraq the past three days, military officials reported.
Coalition troops killed three armed men, wounded another and detained seven suspected terrorists during a raid this morning targeting an al Qaeda in Iraq network northeast of Ramadi.
During the course of the operation, ground forces began receiving small-arms fire from armed men in two separate buildings. Using appropriate self-defense measures, coalition forces returned fire.
The men killed and wounded were later identified as members of the Iraqi police force. Prior to the operation, coalition forces coordinated their operation, and no Iraqi police were known to be in the area.
"Coalition forces express their deepest sympathies to the families of the Iraqi police who were killed," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. "We do everything we can to reduce risk to friendly forces."
The incident is currently under investigation.
Later in the operation, coalition forces cleared another targeted building and detained seven suspected terrorists with alleged ties to al Qaeda in Iraq, military officials said.
During a raid in Baghdad this morning, coalition forces killed an armed man and detained four suspects with ties to al Qaeda. The four suspects, with alleged links to foreign fighter facilitation, were detained when ground forces cleared a building in the area.
Iraqis at the scene claimed the man killed by coalition forces worked as an airport highway security officer. Coalition forces are working to validate the claim and determine his association with the detainees.
Iraqi army soldiers engaged and destroyed two car bombs yesterday as insurgents attacked in Mosul. Iraqi soldiers immediately treated the injured, reinforced security and returned fire as nearby enemy fighters attempted to siege the combat outpost.
Two Multinational Division North helicopters were in the area and responded quickly, providing support to Iraqi soldiers. Insurgent ground fire struck one aircraft, resulting in mechanical problems that forced the pilots to make a precautionary landing.
The helicopter, an OH-58D "Kiowa Warrior," landed safely away from the engagement area. The pilots of the downed aircraft were not injured, and they were safely recovered by a second helicopter and returned to base.
The recovered pilots returned to their coalition base and returned to the engagement area in another helicopter to continue the fight. Their original aircraft was recovered by an alternate air crew.
An unknown number of terrorists, including the two vehicle drivers, were killed in the engagement. Four Iraqi army soldiers were killed and four others were wounded in the attack.
Two car bombs detonated in southwestern Baghdad’s Aeros Market yesterday, killing and wounding Iraqi civilians. Iraqi national police and coalition forces arrived on scene shortly after the attacks, where they established checkpoints and evacuated wounded Iraqis to local hospitals.
Iraqi emergency service personnel also responded to the scene, extinguishing fires and assisting with the medical treatment of bystanders injured in the blasts. The incident is under investigation.
Iraqi army soldiers from 1st Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Iraqi Army, cleared two improvised explosive devices and rescued two vehicle drivers April 14 when a group of insurgents attacked a fuel convoy en route from Baqubah, Iraq, to Iran.
After reports of small-arms fire, Iraqi soldiers responded to the attack on the convoy of seven tractor-trailer fuel trucks, clearing two IEDs en route to the site.
Soldiers secured the site, recovered the vehicles and rescued casualties.
Five vehicle drivers and one passenger were killed during the attack. Two drivers were taken to the 5th Iraqi army compound for security and questioning.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
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