Nickdfresh
10-04-2005, 07:42 AM
Five U.S. troops killed in Iraq attacks
U.S. offensives launched in western part of country
Tuesday, October 4, 2005; Posted: 7:07 a.m. EDT (11:07 GMT)
Suspected insurgents on the streets of Ramadi early on Monday.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Four U.S. soldiers and a Marine have been killed in attacks in Iraq, military officials said Tuesday.
The deaths were announced on the same day as U.S.-led forces launched an offensive in the western province of Anbar, where four of the troops died, military statements said.
Three soldiers from the 2nd Regimental Combat Team, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) died from injuries sustained in a blast Monday, officials said.
All three were involved in combat operations in the Anbar city of Haqlaniya, a statement said, but it was not clear whether they were all killed by the same roadside bomb.
Separately, a U.S. Marine was killed in action Monday by a roadside bomb in the Anbar city of Karabila, a military statement said. The Marine was assigned to the same combat team as the soldiers and was involved in Operation Iron Fist. (Watch Marines battle insurgents in Karabila. (Viewer discsretion advised) -- 2:28)
A U.S. soldier with the Army's 56th Brigade Combat Team died Monday morning from injuries sustained from a gunshot wound near Taqaddum in central Iraq, a military statement said Tuesday. The incident that happened about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad is under investigation.
The deaths -- which take the total number of U.S. personnel killed in Iraq since the beginning of the war to 1,944 -- were announced on the same day as two more offensives were launched in Anbar province, which borders Syria.
Some 2,500 U.S. Marines, soldiers and sailors together with 400 to 500 Iraqi soldiers were deployed for Operation River Gate -- the largest ever offensive for the U.S. military in Anbar, a statement said.
"The operation's goal is to deny al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) the ability to operate in the three Euphrates River Valley cities and to free the local citizens from the insurgents' campaign of murder and intimidation of innocent women, children and men," a U.S. military statement said.
The forces from Combat Team-2 are focusing on the area around Haditha, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) west of Baghdad, but will also take in the neighboring cities of Haqlaniya and Darwana.
"Haditha is an important crossroads for AQI's smuggling activities from the Syrian border. Once in Haditha, smugglers can go north to Mosul or continue on to Ramadi, Falluja or Baghdad," the statement said.
Also launched Tuesday morning was Operation Mountaineers -- described by the military as a "cordon and search operation" in and around Ramadi's southern district of Tammin.
A military statement said 500 U.S. service members and 400 Iraqi security forces were taking part in the operation to "disrupt insurgents in southern Ramadi who are transporting weapons and munitions into the city."
The two offensives follow Operation Iron Fist, launched by the U.S. military in Anbar province with about 1,000 Marines, soldiers and sailors from Regimental Combat Team-2.
U.S.-led forces have mounted operations in Anbar before. Previous offensives have lasted about a week, but insurgents have returned to towns after the troops have left.
The three operations in Anbar come ahead of an October 15 referendum on Iraq's new constitution and amid continuing violence across the country.
A car bomb exploded Tuesday near the Green Zone in Baghdad, which houses military headquarters and diplomatic missions. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
British civilian arrested
A British civilian and nine Iraqis have been arrested by Iraq's border security force, a British military spokesman in the southern city of Basra told CNN Tuesday.
The spokesman could not confirm the time, location or circumstances of the arrest, but an Iraqi police official in the central city of Najaf told CNN that "10 suspected terrorists" were arrested near the Saudi border on Monday, noting that among them was a British national.
Col. Thamer Kamel with the Iraqi border guard in Najaf said a British national by the name of Colin Peter was arrested around 8 p.m. (12 noon ET) Monday along with nine Iraqis on a highway between Anbar and Najaf.
Peter claimed to be a contractor, but his passport did not support his claim, Kamel said. The group, traveling in three GMC Suburbans, was carrying machine guns and GPS satellite technology.
According to Kamel, Peter is being held by the border guard, pending a response from the British embassy.
British Embassy officials in Baghdad said they could not confirm the report at this time.
In London, a spokesman with the British Foreign Office said: "We are aware of the reports that the Iraqis have arrested a British national. We are investigating the circumstances and we will have more details later on."
CNN's (http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/04/iraq.main/index.html) Mohammed Tawfeeq and Kevin Flower contributed to this report.
U.S. offensives launched in western part of country
Tuesday, October 4, 2005; Posted: 7:07 a.m. EDT (11:07 GMT)
Suspected insurgents on the streets of Ramadi early on Monday.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Four U.S. soldiers and a Marine have been killed in attacks in Iraq, military officials said Tuesday.
The deaths were announced on the same day as U.S.-led forces launched an offensive in the western province of Anbar, where four of the troops died, military statements said.
Three soldiers from the 2nd Regimental Combat Team, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) died from injuries sustained in a blast Monday, officials said.
All three were involved in combat operations in the Anbar city of Haqlaniya, a statement said, but it was not clear whether they were all killed by the same roadside bomb.
Separately, a U.S. Marine was killed in action Monday by a roadside bomb in the Anbar city of Karabila, a military statement said. The Marine was assigned to the same combat team as the soldiers and was involved in Operation Iron Fist. (Watch Marines battle insurgents in Karabila. (Viewer discsretion advised) -- 2:28)
A U.S. soldier with the Army's 56th Brigade Combat Team died Monday morning from injuries sustained from a gunshot wound near Taqaddum in central Iraq, a military statement said Tuesday. The incident that happened about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad is under investigation.
The deaths -- which take the total number of U.S. personnel killed in Iraq since the beginning of the war to 1,944 -- were announced on the same day as two more offensives were launched in Anbar province, which borders Syria.
Some 2,500 U.S. Marines, soldiers and sailors together with 400 to 500 Iraqi soldiers were deployed for Operation River Gate -- the largest ever offensive for the U.S. military in Anbar, a statement said.
"The operation's goal is to deny al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) the ability to operate in the three Euphrates River Valley cities and to free the local citizens from the insurgents' campaign of murder and intimidation of innocent women, children and men," a U.S. military statement said.
The forces from Combat Team-2 are focusing on the area around Haditha, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) west of Baghdad, but will also take in the neighboring cities of Haqlaniya and Darwana.
"Haditha is an important crossroads for AQI's smuggling activities from the Syrian border. Once in Haditha, smugglers can go north to Mosul or continue on to Ramadi, Falluja or Baghdad," the statement said.
Also launched Tuesday morning was Operation Mountaineers -- described by the military as a "cordon and search operation" in and around Ramadi's southern district of Tammin.
A military statement said 500 U.S. service members and 400 Iraqi security forces were taking part in the operation to "disrupt insurgents in southern Ramadi who are transporting weapons and munitions into the city."
The two offensives follow Operation Iron Fist, launched by the U.S. military in Anbar province with about 1,000 Marines, soldiers and sailors from Regimental Combat Team-2.
U.S.-led forces have mounted operations in Anbar before. Previous offensives have lasted about a week, but insurgents have returned to towns after the troops have left.
The three operations in Anbar come ahead of an October 15 referendum on Iraq's new constitution and amid continuing violence across the country.
A car bomb exploded Tuesday near the Green Zone in Baghdad, which houses military headquarters and diplomatic missions. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
British civilian arrested
A British civilian and nine Iraqis have been arrested by Iraq's border security force, a British military spokesman in the southern city of Basra told CNN Tuesday.
The spokesman could not confirm the time, location or circumstances of the arrest, but an Iraqi police official in the central city of Najaf told CNN that "10 suspected terrorists" were arrested near the Saudi border on Monday, noting that among them was a British national.
Col. Thamer Kamel with the Iraqi border guard in Najaf said a British national by the name of Colin Peter was arrested around 8 p.m. (12 noon ET) Monday along with nine Iraqis on a highway between Anbar and Najaf.
Peter claimed to be a contractor, but his passport did not support his claim, Kamel said. The group, traveling in three GMC Suburbans, was carrying machine guns and GPS satellite technology.
According to Kamel, Peter is being held by the border guard, pending a response from the British embassy.
British Embassy officials in Baghdad said they could not confirm the report at this time.
In London, a spokesman with the British Foreign Office said: "We are aware of the reports that the Iraqis have arrested a British national. We are investigating the circumstances and we will have more details later on."
CNN's (http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/04/iraq.main/index.html) Mohammed Tawfeeq and Kevin Flower contributed to this report.