Onground Updates
Sunday, April 06, 2008
REUTERS.com reports the news out of Iraq like this today... Iraqi troops backed by U.S. forces battled gunmen in Baghdad's Sadr City on Sunday, a return to heavy fighting in the capital after Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr pulled his militiamen off the streets a week ago... Hospital sources said at least 25 Iraqis were killed in the clashes and 98 wounded... Rocket or mortar attacks killed three U.S. soldiers and wounded 31 of them in Baghdad, among the biggest tolls of injured troops faced by the Americans in months. That included two U.S. soldiers killed and 17 wounded in a strike on the fortified Green Zone government and diplomatic compound... Read story in full at link below...
Fighting erupts in Baghdad after week of calm
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* DailyStar.com.lb has this good news report out today and it starts off like this... Iraq's political leaders, in a rare moment of unity, have cast aside sectarian differences and rallied behind Shiite Premier Nuri al-Maliki as he tries to crack down on militias. The backing is a crucial boost for Maliki, who since taking office two years ago has struggled to impose his will on Iraq's deeply divided sectarian and ethnic groups... Late on Saturday a council representing the president, the two vice presidents and the heads of political blocs - Iraq's Shiite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish elite - called on all parties to disband their militias before provincial elections this year... Read this report in full at link below...
'So close to each other:' Rival politicians rally behind Maliki
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* TimesOnline.com has this report out early their Monday morning and it starts off like this... U.S. and Iraqi forces killed 22 people yesterday in a raid on the Baghdad stronghold of al-Mahdi Army, the Shia militia that fought Iraqi government forces in Basra last week, while kidnappers captured 40 students on a university outing... The violence flared as the US Ambassador to Iraq and the commander of American forces prepared to testify to Congress tomorrow on the security and political progress of the American surge of forces in the past year... In the north, where Sunni insurgents are still holding out against an Iraqi government offensive, gunmen set up a fake checkpoint between Baghdad and the city of Mosul and kidnapped 40 students in a bus. While most such mass kidnappings have ended with the victims being butchered, Iraqi security forces said that they had freed the hostages within hours... Read the rest at link below...
U.S. and Iraqi Forces take the Battle to Moqtada al-Sadr's Doorstep
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Iraqi Security Forces Rescue 42...
Kidnapped Students (Mosul)
Sunday, April 06, 2008
The Iraqi Army detained one suspect, and Iraqi Police are currently searching for additional suspects.
After Iraqi Security Forces reported the kidnapping, a Coalition force aircraft spotted a suspicious vehicle thought to contain the students. The insurgents fled the scene after the vehicle was stopped.
Some of the students left the area but were picked up by Iraqi Security Forces while others made their way a nearby Iraqi Security Forces combat outpost. All 42 students are accounted for and are safe.
The Iraqi Army detained one of the insurgents at a nearby house. Iraqi and Coalition forces continue to search for others individuals involved in the kidnapping.
“Today’s efforts by the Iraqi Security Forces display not only their commitment to tracking down insurgents, but also their ability to secure the future of Iraq,” said Maj. Gary Dangerfield, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment spokesperson.
The incident is under investigation by the Iraqi Security Forces
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Update:
Iraqi Security Forces Rescue 42...
Kidnapped Students (Mosul)
Sunday, April 06, 2008
The Iraqi Army rescued 42 college students after they were kidnapped by al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorists in southwestern Mosul April 6.
The AQI attacked two university buses with small-arms fire wounding three. The other 42 students were abducted.
The three wounded students were taken to a local hospital while Iraqi Forces searched for the missing students.
The soldiers identified a dump truck with a tarp over the back behaving suspiciously. The vehicle was stopped after warning shots were fired. The driver and passenger fled to a local residence.
Some of the students also left the area immediately after the truck was stopped. Thirty-four students were picked up by Iraqi Security Forces at the scene. The other eight students were picked up at a local combat outpost.
All 42 students are accounted for and are safe.
The three kidnappers were positively identified by the hostages and detained by Iraqi Police.
“This swift and professional response by the Iraqi Security Forces is just another example of their ability to serve and protect the Iraqi people,” said Maj. Gary Dangerfield, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment spokesperson.
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