Iraqi, U.S. forces overrun rebel base, kill 85
Wednesday, March 23, 2005 Posted: 9:16 AM EST (1416 GMT)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- After a two-hour firefight, Iraqi forces and U.S. helicopters captured an insurgent base northwest of Baghdad, U.S. military officials said Wednesday.
"A previous safe haven for planning attacks has been removed," a U.S. military official said of Tuesday's battle.
The Iraqi military said it killed 85 insurgents during the firefight at a remote location about 60 miles northwest of the capital near Lake Tharthar.
Seven Iraqi police commandos with the Ministry of Interior died in the fighting and six were wounded, the U.S. military said.
The U.S. military said it had lost no American troops in the battle and the number of rebel dead was "undetermined."
The base included between 80 and 120 rebels at the time of the attack, some of them non-Iraqis, a U.S. military officials said.
The insurgents evacuated their positions about two hours into the battle, the officials said.
After entering the camp, Iraqi commandos found non-Iraqi passports, training publications, propaganda documents, weapons and ammunition, the U.S. military said.
Iraqi forces also seized 30 boats at the camp which presumably were used at the nearby lake.
The U.S. role in the battle was primarily to provide helicopter support, the U.S. military official said. The battle "is another indication of [the insurgents'] diminished capabilities," the official said.
"This in an indication that they have been forced from major population centers and forced to operate in more remote areas," he said.
Jordan-Iraqi tensions easing
A diplomatic huff between Jordan and Iraq which prompted them to withdraw their envoys shows signs of subsiding.
The dispute concerned a Jordanian newspaper report that a family from Jordan celebrated a relative's role in a bombing that killed 127 people in the southern Iraqi city of Hilla last month.
That story generated angry demonstrations in Iraq and underscored concerns about the ability to stop foreign fighters from slipping into Iraq.
Citing security concerns, Jordan's King Abdullah II responded to news of the demonstrations by recalling his nation's ambassador.
The interim Iraq government then recalled its envoy from Jordan.
The king has since ordered Jordan's top envoy to Iraq to return to Baghdad. The status of Iraq's diplomat is unknown.
Tuesday, interim Iraqi Prime Minister's Ayad Allawi issued a statement calling for more investigation of the Hilla incident, and urging Jordan to investigate the reported celebrations.
Allawi also demanded an explanation from the family and the newspaper that published reports of their celebration.
The father of a Jordanian suspect has denied his son's involvement in the Hilla blast and said his son died in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.
Allawi said Jordan's prime minister has contacted him "expressing his sorrow" and saying investigations are forthcoming.
Other developments
Allawi urged politicians on Tuesday, including the president of the interim National Assembly, Sheikh Dhary Al-Fayadh, to help "speed up" the new government's formation. On January 30, Iraqis elected a transitional National Assembly, which met for the first time last week. Members so far have failed to reach a deal on the government's composition. A major goal of the assembly will be to create a permanent constitution on which Iraqi citizens will vote.
Seven U.S. senators -- five Democrats and two Republicans -- visited Iraq on Tuesday to speak with Iraqi politicians and observe training for Iraqi security forces. Making the visit were: Robert Bennett, R-Utah; Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee; Harry Reid, D-Nevada; Richard Durbin, D-Illinois, Barbara Boxer, D-California; Patty Murray D-Washington; and Ken Salazar D-Colorado.
Three Iraqis suspected of launching a rocket strike on coalition forces were arrested in in the northern city of Kirkuk on Tuesday, the U.S. military said. Task Force Liberty soldiers conducted the nighttime raid and said they confiscated "rocket fuses and AK-47 assault weapons."
CNN's Aneesh Raman contributed to this report |
