Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

U.S., Iraqi forces kill 250 militants in Najaf
Reuters ^ | 1-28-07 | Reuters

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)




TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 0wn3d; 0wned; ahmedhassani; alyemeni; armyofheaven; bushwins; frwn; heavensarmy; heavenssoldiers; iraq; iraqiforces; mahdi; najaf; owned; pwn3d; pwnd; pwnt; soldiersofheaven; victory; wot; yemeni
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 481 next last
To: cgk

Mostly Sunnis?


21 posted on 01/28/2007 11:13:41 AM PST by LdSentinal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All
Related story on the US chopper that went down near Najaf:

Iraqi forces battle militants

22 posted on 01/28/2007 11:13:46 AM PST by cgk (I don't see myself as a conservative. I see myself as a religious, right-wing, wacko extremist.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cgk

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/iraq/16567343.htm

U.S. helicopter shot down near Najaf
By Rich Mauer
McClatchy Newspapers
BAGHDAD, Jan. 28 - A U.S. helicopter was shot down early Sunday afternoon near the provincial capital Najaf during a pitched battle with fighters described as religious fanatics.

A McClatchy Newspapers correspondent from Najaf, Qasim Zen, observed the helicopter lose control and crash to the ground in flames after it appeared to have been struck by rocket fired from the ground. The correspondent had been observing the battle from a safe position about half a mile away from the fight in the village of al Zarga. Al Zarga is about 5 miles from Najaf and about 80 miles south of Baghdad.

No information on U.S. casualties was available. Military public affairs officials in Baghdad said Sunday afternoon they were unaware of the helicopter downing.

The correspondent observed the helicopter shot down about 1:35 p.m. Iraqi time Sunday (5:35 a.m. EST).

The battle is being fought against alleged religious fanatics. Iraqi intelligence had received several reports that this group of fighters planned to attack the religious shrine in Karbala Wednesday, the holy day of Ashura, and to kill all the clerics.

The Iraqi officials told the correspondent that the fighters, whom he described as Saddamists and Afghanis, infiltrated the area as Ashura pilgrims commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.

The battle began with U.S. aerial bombardments Saturday night. Iraqi forces ground forces sealed off the area around 3 a.m. Sunday and begin an assault, assisted by U.S. helicopters and F-16 fighter jets. Maj. Hussain Muhammed of the Iraqi Army confimed the helicopter was down. "We do not know any other details yet, but there are flames raising," he said.


23 posted on 01/28/2007 11:14:14 AM PST by jimbo123
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cgk

What really burns me up about all of this is why the *** didn't we do this before the election?


24 posted on 01/28/2007 11:14:40 AM PST by Post-Neolithic (Money only makes Communists rich Communists)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

US, Iraqi Forces Kill 250 in Najaf

US and Iraqi forces killed 250 gunmen in a fierce battle involving US tanks and helicopters on the outskirts of the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf on Sunday, an Iraqi police officer says.
   
The day-long battle was continuing after nightfall, Colonel Ali Nomas told Reuters.

Shi'ite political sources say the gunmen appeared to be both Sunni Arabs and Shi'ites loyal to a cleric called Ahmed Hassani.

More to follow...

25 posted on 01/28/2007 11:15:35 AM PST by cgk (I don't see myself as a conservative. I see myself as a religious, right-wing, wacko extremist.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cgk

Do the shiites have any cities that aren't "holy"? Sheesh.

Great news, this...Let's hope that our losses are nonexistent and theirs are huge.


26 posted on 01/28/2007 11:16:20 AM PST by Old_Mil (http://www.gohunter08.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cgk

"At least 25 additional gunmen captured, some Somali . . ."


27 posted on 01/28/2007 11:16:22 AM PST by LdSentinal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EQAndyBuzz

Located 190 km. south of the capital of Baghdad, Najaf is considered a "holy" city among Shi'a Muslims. It is here that 'Ali is buried: the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad and the person whom Shi'a Muslims believe should have succeeded the Prophet in leadership after his death. In 661 A.D., Ali was assassinated in Kufa, a town 11 km. northeast of Najaf.

Sounds like a possible Sadr hideout!


28 posted on 01/28/2007 11:16:47 AM PST by omega4179 (Communism: Its back and arming Iran.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: EQAndyBuzz; LdSentinal

If it's near Najaf then it's almost certainly Shiites, and probably the Al Mahdi militia of Moqtada al Sadr, which probably means that the Iraq campaign will become even more difficult before anything gets better. If it's not the Al Mahdi then the next most likely candidate would be the Badr Brigades, which would be an interesting twist, since we haven't been battling them much to date.


29 posted on 01/28/2007 11:16:54 AM PST by AntiGuv ("..I do things for political expediency.." - Sen. John McCain on FOX News)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: cgk

Gee .. I never hear this type of news on the top of the hour news radio


30 posted on 01/28/2007 11:16:56 AM PST by Mo1 (Mrs. Bill Clinton - "We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cgk

HOOAH! More please.


31 posted on 01/28/2007 11:17:06 AM PST by AliVeritas (Stop Global Dhimming. Demand testicular fortitude from the hill. Call the crusade.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EQAndyBuzz

Shiite Territory - The very heart.


32 posted on 01/28/2007 11:17:50 AM PST by muleskinner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: cgk; SandRat
U.S., Iraqi forces kill 250 in Najaf battle 28 Jan 2007 18:47:26 GMT NAJAF, Iraq, Jan 28 (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, an Iraqi police officer said. The day-long battle was continuing after nightfall, Colonel Ali Nomas told Reuters. Shi'ite political sources said the gunmen appeared to be both Sunni Arabs and Shi'ites loyal to a cleric called Ahmed Hassani.
33 posted on 01/28/2007 11:18:01 AM PST by smoothsailing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jimbo123

What the hell is an alleged religious fanatic?


34 posted on 01/28/2007 11:18:11 AM PST by AliVeritas (Stop Global Dhimming. Demand testicular fortitude from the hill. Call the crusade.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: cgk; nuconvert
Among those taking the heat are probably Ahmed al-Hassani of Ansar al-Sunna and other Sunnis.
35 posted on 01/28/2007 11:18:57 AM PST by AdmSmith
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AntiGuv

Articles I've been reading today indicated they were mostly Sunnis who moved to Karbala to begin attacks against Shiites during their religious holiday.


36 posted on 01/28/2007 11:19:24 AM PST by LdSentinal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: cgk

Excellent.

We need to continue to pray for our troops!!!!


37 posted on 01/28/2007 11:20:02 AM PST by diamond6 (Everyone who is for abortion has been born. Ronald Reagan)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AntiGuv

the story just posted said a major sunni assault on the holy city to kill clerics was broken up.


38 posted on 01/28/2007 11:20:02 AM PST by omega4179 (Communism: Its back and arming Iran.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: jimbo123; Dog
Thanks! Found this one too, with some hidden good news behind the initial report on the downed chopper!:

Also Sunday, U.S. troops captured 21 suspected terrorists including an al-Qaida courier in a series of raids in Baghdad and Sunni areas north and west of the capital, the U.S. command said. Three of the suspects were believed to have close ties to the leadership of al-Qaida in Iraq, the military said.

39 posted on 01/28/2007 11:20:17 AM PST by cgk (I don't see myself as a conservative. I see myself as a religious, right-wing, wacko extremist.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: cgk
Shi'ite political sources say the gunmen appeared to be both Sunni Arabs and Shi'ites loyal to a cleric called Ahmed Hassani.

Well, that's a new one. I haven't seen that name before.

40 posted on 01/28/2007 11:20:26 AM PST by AntiGuv ("..I do things for political expediency.." - Sen. John McCain on FOX News)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 481 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson