US forces kill 25 in Iraq air strikes

[maddezmom]

Source: AFP

BAGHDAD (AFP) - A double US air strike near the Iraqi city of Baquba on Friday killed around 25 suspected Iranian-linked insurgents, the military said, but Iraqi officials said women and children were among the dead.

A US military statement said the operations targeted an Iranian-linked commander believed to be smuggling weapons across the border from Iran, accused by the Americans of fuelling the sectarian conflict in Iraq.

US aircraft killed an "estimated 25" insurgents and destroyed two houses after a heavy firefight near Baquba, 60 kilometres (35 miles) north of Baghdad, during which rebels fired rocket-propelled grenades, it said.

"There were two air strikes; one helicopter, one fixed-wing. There was continued fighting between the two air strikes," US military spokesman Major Winfield Danielson later told AFP.

Iraqi police spokesman Khudhayir al-Timimi said civilians were among the dead and wounded in the raid on Al-Jayzani village northwest of Baquba.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071005/wl_afp/iraqunrest_071005125222

[sabra]

1. U.S. Says It Kills 25 in Iraq Gun Battle

Source: AP

U.S. forces killed at least 25 members of a rogue Shiite militia in a heavy firefight early Friday, the military said.

The troops were targeting a militia commander believed to be associated with members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force and responsible for moving weapons from Iran into Baghdad, the military said.

A group of men opened fire on the U.S. soldiers with assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, and at least one man was carrying what appeared to be an anti-aircraft weapon, the military said. Two buildings were destroyed and at least 25 people were killed in the ensuing battle.

U.S. aircraft repeatedly bombed the Shiite section of Khalis, about 50 miles north of Baghdad, according to an Iraqi army official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information. At least 17 were killed, 27 were wounded and eight others were missing, he said.

...

The town's mayor said the U.S. military targeted areas built up by locals to protect their Shiite neighborhood against attacks by al-Qaida gunmen.


Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=3692676

[TwilightGardener]

2. So 25 here, 25 there...I sincerely hope these are really "bad guys" they're

killing. I just don't know what to make of this occupation anymore.

[sabra]

3. and Iraqi official is quoted as saying civilians were killed/wounded

<snip>

He said civilians were killed when they rushed out to help those hurt in the initial bombing. The U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

[Magleetis]

5. They are not civilians

its collateral damage. In chimpy's America all life is precious.

[Roy]

13. And their Lemming will say, They're not children they're Iraqis

n/t

[alcibiades_mystery]

10. Just hope and pray that if we drop the bomb

we drop it on the Viet Cong...

:eyes:

[Supersedeas]

4. apparently only the Sunni can protect their neighborhoods from Al Caca.

[Barrett808]

6. Women, children 'killed in US strike' (Baquba, Iraq)

Source: AFP

WOMEN and children were among 25 Iraqis killed and 40 wounded in a US air strike on a village near the central city of Baquba today, police spokesman Khudhayir al-Timimi said.

“Twenty-five people were killed and 40 others wounded, including women and children, in the US air strike that targeted al-Jayzani village,” Mr Timimi said.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22537835-5005961,00.html

[xchrom]

7. oh yeah -- still winning those hearts and minds.

[rodeodance]

8. Blackwater gets rally dissed-----but our military?-

[0007]

9. Mean while back at the ranch with AP reporters and other news agencies.....

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

11. US raid in Iraq kills 'civilians'

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A32DF6B8-A5B2-4042-A833-B928E18FEED4.htm

At least 17 Iraqi civilians, including women and children, have been killed in a US air raid, Iraqi officials and witnesses say.

US military officials have yet to respond to the claim, but issued a statement that it had killed 25 Shia fighters in clashes near the city of Baquba, in the same area as the alleged attack on the civilians.


US helicopters attacked the Shia village of al-Jaysani, close to the town of Khalis, at about 2am local time (2300 GMT), witnesses said on Friday.

"Seventeen people were killed, 27 were wounded and eight are missing including women and children," an Iraqi defence ministry official, said.
However, Ahmed Mohammed, a witness, said the death toll was higher.
"There are 24 bodies on the ground in the village and 25 others wounded in Al-Khalis hospital," he said.

Houses destroyed

At least four houses in the village, which lies 80km north of Baghdad, were destroyed in the US air raid, witnesses said.

An Iraqi army official who spoke on condition of anonymity said civilians were killed when they rushed out to help those hurt in the initial bombing.

Oday al-Khadran, Khalis' mayor, said the US military targeted areas built up by local people to protect their neighbourhood against attacks by al-Qaeda fighters.

"These places came under attack by American air strikes," he said.

US statement

The US military could not be reached for comment on allegations that it had killed civilians during combat operations, but a US military statement said 25 fighters had been killed near Baquba.

The statement said US forces came under fire from opposition fighters who were then killed in an ensuing gun battle, adding that two houses were destroyed in the fighting.

The target of the operation was a "commander believed to be associated with members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard-Quds Force", the statement said.

The statement said that one of the oppostion fighters was carrying what appeared to be an anti-aircraft weapon.

The US military said at the weekend it had seized Iranian-made surface-to-air missiles that were being used by opposition fighters in Iraq.

Heightened tension

Friday's incident comes amid heightened tension between the US and Iran after US forces detained Mahmudi Farhadi, an Iranian national, in northern Iraq a fortnight ago.

Farhadi’s detention led Tehran to close its border with the Kurdish semi-autonomous region.

The US military says that Farhadi is an officer in the covert operations arm of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards.

The secret operations wing has been accused by American commanders of supporting Shia fighters involved in Iraq's continuing sectarian conflict.

[maddezmom]

12. US, Iraqis differ on raid on Shiite town

US, Iraqis differ on raid on Shiite town By HAMID AHMED, Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD - U.S. forces backed by attack aircraft killed at least 25 Shiite militia fighters north of Baghdad Friday in an operation targeting a cell accused of smuggling weapons from Iran, the military said.


Iraqi officials, however, said American bombs killed civilians who rushed to help those injured in the initial airstrike and claimed the only ones armed in the neighborhood were locals trying to organize themselves against al-Qaida.

The new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen met Iraq's prime minister on a visit to Baghdad on Friday and urged Iraqis to seize the opportunity of improved security.

"I see a tremendous amount of change and progress since I was here before," Mullen told reporters after discussions with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in the Iraqi capital. "But we still face significant challenges in progress and security."

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071005/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq;_ylt=AoN7msOe8M_1kP1jyYt.59ZvaA8F

[scarface2004]

14. suspected??!!!

suspected gets you killed...no wonder we ve won the hearts and minds!!!

[stillcool]

15. still bombing...

after all these years...

[rodeodance]

16. Double US air strike kills 25 in Iraq

Source: AFP.



Double US air strike kills 25 in Iraq

by Andrew Gully Fri Oct 5, 3:17 PM ET

BAGHDAD (AFP) - A double US air strike on an Iraqi village killed around 25 suspected Iranian-linked insurgents on Friday, the military said, with Iraqi officials claiming women and children were among the dead.
.............

Iraqi police spokesman Khudhayir al-Timimi said women and children were among the dead and wounded in the raid, but the Americans said they had no knowledge of civilian casualties.

"Twenty-five people were killed and 40 others wounded, including women and children in the US air strike that targeted Al-Jayzani," Timimi told AFP.........

n other fighting, the US military said three US soldiers were killed Friday in two separate roadside bomb attacks that wounded five others.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071005/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunrest_071005185617;_ylt=AiV_NVITWXksPh3Ae0ZNd1Ws0NUE

[The_Casual_Observer]

17. "three US soldiers were killed Friday "

Notice that these aren't being widely reported anymore?