U.S. unleashes rare early morning artillery barrage in Baghdad

Above: Soldiers pull security outside the courtyard of a house as others attend to a wounded soldier hit by sniper fire in the Al Doura area on April 5, where this morning's artillery barrage was said to be aimed. The soldiers were checking out a reported cache when the sniper hit. Left: A section chief checks out the cockpit of the mobile howitzer his team mans on Forward Operating Base Falcon in February. The goal is to keep the gun “hot” and ready for action around the clock.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military in Iraq launched an artillery barrage in southern Baghdad on Sunday against suspected insurgent targets, with two dozen loud explosions shaking the southern outskirts of the capital.

U.S. military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Garver said the morning blasts, which were heard across the city, were caused by U.S. artillery but declined to say what the target was...

The Iraqi police said the artillery was being fired from the U.S. Forward Operating Base Falcon in southern Baghdad into the al-Buaitha neighborhood of Dora, a volatile district that is a Sunni insurgent stronghold.

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