2-day battle in Buhriz makes slow progress

Above: U.S. and Iraqi army soldiers carry the body of an Iraqi soldier killed in the ongoing combat in Buhriz, a village of 40,000 between Baqouba and Baghdad. The area was the site of the downing of a helicopter last month which killed 12.

BUHRIZ, Iraq (CNN) -- U.S. and Iraqi forces waged a fierce fight Sunday against insurgents who claim control of this small town north of Baghdad where al Qaeda forces flew their flag at a police station in December.

The battle began Saturday and was making slow progress Sunday, when it took U.S. forces eight hours to clear a path less than half a mile long.

Their progress was stymied by a combination of real and fake roadside bombs.

One U.S. soldier and one Iraqi soldier were killed and another U.S. soldier and Iraqi soldier were wounded Saturday, officials said.

In addition, seven suspected insurgents were killed and another 20 detained, officials said. U.S. and Iraqi forces also discovered some bomb-making material, according to officials.

U.S. and Iraqi forces have taken control of Buhriz, about 50 miles north of Baghdad, several times over the past four years, only to see Sunni insurgents take it back once they left.

The aim of the Iraqi and U.S. forces this time is to establish a permanent Iraqi military presence in the town so it can withstand any insurgent attacks.

Read the rest at CNN

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