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

Reuters ^ | 1-28-07 | Reuters

[cgk]

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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[bray]

Ever notice that every Mooselimb Holiday is the celebration of either the Rape of some 10 yr old girls or the Beheading of a City??

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters

[tobyhill]

They will only make bigger fools of themselves if they try and if it's possible. They told their friends that once they got into office the war would end but it hasn't and won't. Even Clinton knows the congress is impotent so all she could do to try and save face is demand President Bush begin to pull out troops by Jan '09.

[FreeReign]

Here's a military general explaining why he thinks it's important to have the Iraqi security forces doing their own work to combat the Shiite militias.

Brig. Gen. Terry Wolff:In 2006, we made significant strides in force generation and all components of the Iraqi military. The Iraqi security force currently sits at 327,000 trained and equipped policemen and Iraqi military. ...I don’t think you can overstate the importance of the institution of the army as a unifying institution in Iraq, when you have people who come from all over the nation and now put on a common uniform and serve together.

Sounds to me like the General is saying it's important military strategy to have a unified Iraqi military army (and police force) so that they can clean up their own fat-boy and Mahdi Army mess. Maybe you missed it but this operation was lead by Iraqi Security forces. Perhaps that explains the wait to you

BEFORE you jump into anything, you should KNOW what the discussion is about! I put MY words that YOU quoted back to ME (ABOVE) in black so you could READ them again. Since you obviously didn't read them or if you did, you didn't comprehend what they said, I'm going to explain it to you. I said KILLED, and you said captured. I am clearly talking about KILLING insurgents, and YOU are talking about capturing them. THAT was NOT the subject of this thread.

Blah, blah, blah. We've killed thousands of insurgents over the last three years. What a dopey response that you give.

The generals words above remain. The strategy seems pretty clear.

Unless you think you know better, you should stay out of it and let the Generals do their job.

(The irony)

[jveritas]

Yes they are called "Ansar Al Mahdi", which means the "followers of the Mahdi" and they are associated with the "Mahdi Army".

[FreeReign]

About 600 fighters and 16 leaders of the radical Shia militia, the Mehdi Army, have been nabbed in 52 operations over the last 45 days.

BEFORE you jump into anything, you should KNOW what the discussion is about! I put MY words that YOU quoted back to ME (ABOVE) in black so you could READ them again. Since you obviously didn't read them or if you did, you didn't comprehend what they said, I'm going to explain it to you. I said KILLED, and you said captured. I am clearly talking about KILLING insurgents, and YOU are talking about capturing them. THAT was NOT the subject of this thread.

BTW all, here's a poster who blames our military operations because 600 Mahdi Army members surrendered instead of shooting it out to the death.

LOL!

[OldArmy52]

Sounds like various clerics each have their own private, terrorist armies.

A corresponding situation would be if each major church in the USA had it's own private army, that in the best Christian traditions, murdered and tortured any and all the chruch boss had the whim to do such to.

What a hurricane of condemnation that would provoke from the MSM and the DNC.

Fortunately, the terrorist, private armies are moslem, not Christian. Thus getting a pass from the ACLU, MSM, DNC, Communist Party USA and other supporters of the enemies of civilization.

[tomnbeverly]

Finally... a plan that works... scream it loud and clear... Bush plan is working... Iraqis are responding to pressure of George W. Bush ... Democrats are defeatists that would rather pull the troops out and put our kids on American streets at risk....

[La Enchiladita]

I prefer HOLE-Y city of Najaf... the more holes in it the better.

[river rat]

"CNN says up to 300 dead terrorists in the operation."

Did CNN actually say "terrorists", or did they say "insurgents", or "civilians", or "wedding guests", or "innocent praying Muslims"?

I can' believe CNN applied the term to Islamist cockroaches.
CNN is more inclined to use that term for our warriors..

Semper Fi

[Duaine]

Hey, I saw this formation in my Boy Scout Handbook back in 1965....My troop always used it when attacking the local Girl Scout troops.

LOL....

Eagle Scout....

[endthematrix]

"The Holy smoking ruins of what once was called Najaf..."

[STARWISE]

U.S., Iraqi forces kill 300 militants in Najaf

U.S. and Iraqi forces killed some 300 gunmen from an apocalyptic Muslim cult in a day-long battle involving U.S. tanks and aircraft near the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf, Iraqi police, army and political sources said.

The U.S. military said on Monday it was an ongoing operation so it could not provide any details.

An Iraqi army source said U.S. forces took control of the operation on Sunday and bombing continued in the area until well after dawn on Monday, which was the climax of Ashura, the highpoint of the Shi'ite religious calendar.

(snip)

Police Colonel Ali Nomas said 300 to 350 gunmen had been killed in the operation and dozens more arrested. Three Iraqi soldiers were killed and six more missing, and five policemen were killed. Another 40 Iraqi police and soldiers were wounded.

According to one Iraqi political source, hundreds of fighters, drawn from both Sunni and Shi'ite communities, fought throughout Sunday and late into the night.

A Reuters reporter at the scene, 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad, saw U.S. tanks and heard blasts after dark on Sunday and an Iraqi officer said F-16 jets were bombing the area.

Details of the day's fighting were sketchy and the origins of the fighters unclear. An Iraqi army source said some of the dead wore headbands declaring themselves a "Soldier of Heaven."

The political source said up to 1,000 fighters had been involved. An Iraqi army source said they wore camouflage and appeared well organized.

The U.S. military officially handed over responsibility for Najaf province to Iraqi security forces last month, withdrawing most U.S. troops, to be recalled only to help in emergencies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Open their eyes, give 'em bloody hell, brave troops, and God Bless You!!

[Brandie]

I love it, the number keeps growing and they aren't done yet. God bless our troops.

[STARWISE]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BTW, Maxine Waters unloaded .. BIG time at the protest. What a venomous cretin:

"The Chairlady of the House of Representatives’ “Out of Iraq Caucus,” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), also ripped into Bush. She said:

“My name is Maxine Waters and I’m not afraid of George W. Bush.

My name is Maxine Waters and I’m not intimidated by Dick Cheney.

My name is Maxine Waters and I helped to get [Donald] Rumsfeld fired.

My name is Maxine Waters and Connie (sic) Rice is nothing but another Neocon and she doesn’t represent me.

George W. Bush led us into this immoral war. He tricked the American people...He did not tell the truth...Bush says he is ‘the decider,’ but you know what? He’s not ‘the decider. He’s ‘the liar...’

I will not vote one dime for this war...Bring the troops home.”

Waters said some Congress people are only paying “lip service” to the antiwar cause."

[STARWISE]

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/special_packages/iraq/16568097.htm


Fighting was fierce all day. The commander of the Najaf police, Brig. Gen. Abdulkareem al-Mayahi, was among the wounded. U.S. helicopters and fighter jets attacked positions throughout Sunday.

Husam Ali, one of the Iraqi army soldiers who took part in the operation, said he saw more than 50 wounded among security personnel.

"I was there in the battlefield. I saw 7 (Soldiers of Heaven) members being taken prisoners by the Iraqi army and I saw another three who committed suicide refusing to be taken prisoner," Ali said.

Maj. Hussain Muhammed of the Iraqi army said he believed he was confronting a force of 2,000 militants.

About 80 members of the Scorpion Brigade from neighboring Babil province were summoned to assist. Late Sunday night, Babil police spokesman Muthanna Ahmed said, the Scorpion Brigade, protecting Najaf City's boundaries, got into a firefight with militants who broke through the lines. Ahmed said dozens of the fighters were killed.

Families fleeing the conflict said the Soldiers of Heaven had planted numerous bombs in the fields, which they hoped to detonate against government forces.

Maj. Gen. Qaif al-Mamouri, the police chief from Hilla who led the Scorpion Brigade, said the fighters were well armed with a large variety of modern weapons.

By Sunday evening, Maj. Mishari Hassan of the Iraqi army said the Iraqi forces had withdrawn and were replaced by U.S. soldiers.

[Jeff Chandler]

I am starting to buy into the theory that Bush wanted to loose the election so he could get his cherished amnesty passed. May God please help us.

Such thinking is often described as moon battery.

[Reform4Bush]

CNN just reported that Al-Sistani was the target of this attack.

This was an absolutely huge victory.

Way to go troops!

[tomnbeverly]

300 now... thats 300 dead never to threaten the U.S. homeland again... sing it loud and sing it long.