Thursday, February 15, 2007

Security Summary: February 15, 2007

Soldiers during a sustained firefight in the predominantly Sunni area of Adimyah district in Baghdad on Sunday

BAGHDAD - Iraqi troops, backed by U.S. forces, confiscated heavy machineguns and assault rifles during a raid on a Shi'ite mosque targeting militiamen suspected of kidnapping, torture and murder, the U.S. military said. Wednesday's raid took place at the Buratha mosque, which the military said was used as a safe haven for militia groups and to store weapons.

HAWIJA - Police battled tens of gunmen who stormed the Sunni town of Hawija south of Kirkuk on Wednesday night and killed four, police sources said. The battle, which lasted several hours, was preceded by three car bombs in the town that killed three people. Residents said the gunmen were chanting Islamic slogans and appeared to be al Qaeda followers.

BAGHDAD - A bomb planted inside a bus killed three people and wounded 25 in Baghdad's Shi'ite stronghold of Sadr City, police said.

NEAR SUWAYRA - The Iraqi Army, with U.S. advisers, detained several suspects during operations targeting a rogue Mehdi Army militia cell in a town near Suwayra, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, the U.S. military said, it said.

FALLUJA - A U.S. Marine was killed in combat in Anbar province on Wednesday, the U.S. military said.

MOSUL - Gunmen killed a policeman in the city of Mosul, police said.

BAGHDAD - Two separate car bombs killed four people and wounded 20 in Baghdad's Doura district, police said.

BAGHDAD - A car bomb targeting an Iraqi army patrol, wounded a soldier near al-Shurta tunnel in western Baghdad, police said.

MOSUL - A roadside bomb hit a police patrol, killing a policeman in the northern city of Mosul, 390 km north of Baghdad, police said.

NEAR KIRKUK - A roadside bomb killed two people and wounded a third when it exploded next to their car near the city of Kirkuk, 250 km north of Baghdad, police said.

BAGHDAD - The Iraqi army killed two insurgents and wounded 33 others during the last 24 hours in different parts of Iraq, the Defence Ministry said.

From Reuters/Alternet