Thousands flee as US troops battle to banish Sunni rebels

[Judi Lynn]

Mon, Sep 12 05

Thousands flee as US troops battle to banish Sunni rebels

FIGHTING continued in the northern Iraqi town of Tal Afar yesterday as US and Iraqi troops pressed forward with their operation to regain control of the area from Sunni insurgents.

As many as 7,000 families are thought to have fled the violence, creating a "critical" humanitarian problem, according to aid workers.

The coalition push, the largest of its kind since US troops wrested control of Fallujah back from rebels last November, began early on Saturday with a series of airstrikes as US armoured vehicles advanced from encircling positions into Tal Afar. About 4,000 American troops are backing a force of 6,000 Iraqi soldiers.
(snip)

The Iraqi Red Crescent said the humanitaran situation for the town's 300,000 civilians, most of whom are thought to have fled, was "critical". A team of doctors and volunteers set up a 500-tent camp east of Tal Afar to cope with the exodus.
(snip/...)

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=33&si=1466393&issue_id=12984
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[G_j]

1. just another "critical" humanitarian problem

they are getting better at these all the time. :sarcasm: