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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
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]

----------------------------

81 posted on 01/28/2007 11:37:07 AM PST by SJackson (Let a thousand flowers bloom and let all our rifles be aimed at the occupation, Abu Mazen 1/11/07)
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To: AntiGuv; WhistlingPastTheGraveyard
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.


Neither have I... And that sure blows that whole "civil war/sectarian/they hate the sight of each other" argument out of the water!
82 posted on 01/28/2007 11:38:04 AM PST by cgk (I don't see myself as a conservative. I see myself as a religious, right-wing, wacko extremist.)
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To: cgk

I believe they're saying that at least a "close adviser" of Sadr was killed in this battle today...






....close, but not close enough!


83 posted on 01/28/2007 11:39:04 AM PST by mystery-ak (My Son, My Soldier, My Hero........God Speed Jonathan......)
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To: Post-Neolithic

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.


84 posted on 01/28/2007 11:39:12 AM PST by foreshadowed at waco
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To: AliVeritas

Alleged religious fanatic = "Radical [i.e. mainstream] firebrand* Islamic cleric"?


*Fireband is Arabic for "raving maniac".


85 posted on 01/28/2007 11:39:17 AM PST by ApplegateRanch (Islam: a Satanically Transmitted Disease, spread by unprotected intimate contact with the Koranus.)
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To: Billthedrill

CNN says up to 300 dead terrorists in the operation.


86 posted on 01/28/2007 11:39:42 AM PST by jimbo123
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To: Billthedrill
...it would be good to know where these weapons came from. I have a very short list of suspects.

France, China, Russia, North Korea; did I miss anybody?

87 posted on 01/28/2007 11:40:00 AM PST by JimRed ("Hey, hey, Teddy K., how many girls did you drown today?" (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help m)
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To: AliVeritas

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.


88 posted on 01/28/2007 11:40:25 AM PST by cgk (I don't see myself as a conservative. I see myself as a religious, right-wing, wacko extremist.)
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To: Billthedrill

Iran?


89 posted on 01/28/2007 11:40:29 AM PST by AliVeritas (Stop Global Dhimming. Demand testicular fortitude from the hill. Call the crusade.)
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To: jimbo123

CNN says up to 300 dead terrorists in the operation.




This is really gonna upset the Code Pinko and Hanoi Jane crowd...hehehehe


90 posted on 01/28/2007 11:40:48 AM PST by mystery-ak (My Son, My Soldier, My Hero........God Speed Jonathan......)
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To: JimRed

IRAN


91 posted on 01/28/2007 11:40:51 AM PST by Earthdweller (All reality is based on faith in something.)
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To: LdSentinal
...they were mostly Sunnis who moved to Karbala to begin attacks against Shiites during their religious holiday.

I'm confused. Do Muslims attack each other more or less during their religious holidays?

92 posted on 01/28/2007 11:40:52 AM PST by Mad_Tom_Rackham (Well, it's 2007. Time to get ready for 2008.)
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To: cgk

"US TANKS AND HELICOPTERS ARE INVOLVED"

Read, "VICTORY IS INVOLVED."


93 posted on 01/28/2007 11:40:58 AM PST by unspun (What do you think? Please think, before you answer.)
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To: mystery-ak

:D GMTA!


94 posted on 01/28/2007 11:41:36 AM PST by cgk (I don't see myself as a conservative. I see myself as a religious, right-wing, wacko extremist.)
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To: cgk

Charon will be working overtime today.


95 posted on 01/28/2007 11:41:47 AM PST by Slings and Arrows ("Facts are a Zionist plot!" --MarkL)
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To: unspun

"US TANKS AND HELICOPTERS ARE INVOLVED"




I'm loving this!!!!


96 posted on 01/28/2007 11:42:35 AM PST by mystery-ak (My Son, My Soldier, My Hero........God Speed Jonathan......)
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To: cgk

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!!


97 posted on 01/28/2007 11:42:51 AM PST by Passionate_about_USA
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To: AliVeritas

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.


98 posted on 01/28/2007 11:43:28 AM PST by Billthedrill
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To: SandRat

I think you took a day off. Did you get permission?


99 posted on 01/28/2007 11:45:06 AM PST by larryjohnson (USAF(Ret))
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To: AliVeritas

Ammo soaked in pigs blood. Let the muzzies know that one hit is instant damnation.


100 posted on 01/28/2007 11:45:20 AM PST by Shaun_MD (Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teaches my fingers to fight, and my hands to war.)
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