25 Killed in Fighting Between Sunni Militants in Iraq
23 August 2007
Iraqi police say at least 25 people have been killed in clashes between militants from rival Sunni Arab groups.
The fighting began early Thursday, when police say suspected militants from al-Qaida in Iraq attacked two villages near Baquba, northeast of Baghdad. The militants attacked village leaders and their families who support the U.S. and Iraqi government fight against al-Qaida.
At least 15 residents were killed in the assault. Police say at least 10 militants were killed as armed villagers fought back. The militants retreated, taking several hostages. Police say the people fighting the al-Qaida militants were loyal to a former Sunni Arab insurgent group that now opposes al-Qaida.
In other news, the U.S. military said coalition forces killed one suspected al-Qaida-linked terrorist and detained 10 others during operations north of Baquba, in Baiji and the northern city of Mosul Thursday.
On Wednesday, a suicide truck bomb attack on a police station in Baiji killed at least two dozen people and wounded about 80 others. Victims included both police and civilians.
Also on Wednesday, a U.S. Blackhawk helicopter crashed on a night-time mission in northern Iraq, killing all 14 soldiers aboard. The U.S. military said initial indications are the crash was due to a mechanical problem, not enemy fire.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
