Iraq:US aircraft and army snipers killed 13 fighters north of Baghdad yesterday in fierce combat that erupted as troops closed in to capture an al-Qaeda cell leader, the US military said.
The US military this week announced the launch of a major new offensive targeting al-Qaeda and Shia militias, whom they fear will step up attacks ahead of a key report on the Iraq war due to be presented to the US Congress in September.
It launched an operation east of the town of Tarmiya yesterday, targeting an al-Qaeda leader "who provides guidance to senior terrorist leaders".
After being shot at from several buildings, troops had called in air strikes that forced out four fighters, including a woman wearing a ski mask, who were then killed by aircraft and sniper fire, the US military said.
Nine more gunmen were killed during the fighting.
"Despite coalition forces' appeals for the terrorists to send out women and children to be taken to safety, a boy was killed in a building with an armed terrorist who had engaged the ground forces," a military statement said.
US military commanders plan to maintain the current level of about 160,000 troops in Iraq until next year and then start to draw them down, a US general said yesterday.
Army Lieut Gen Ray Odierno said security in Iraq had improved in recent months as the result of the surge in US forces, but the gains did not yet represent enduring trends.
Moderate Kurdish and Shia blocs formed a new alliance on Thursday to support Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government in an attempt to break a political deadlock that has paralysed decision-making and stalled agreement on crucial legislation.
But the alliance, which includes the two main Kurdish parties in the government, the powerful Shia Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council and Maliki's Shia Dawa party, does not include the biggest Sunni Arab party, the Iraqi Islamic Party.
- (Reuters)