American forces killed more than 40 insurgents, and a known al-Qaida operative, in five raids south of Baghdad.
Militants downed a US helicopter during the fighting, killing the two soldiers aboard, the US command said today.
[...] Four of the US military raids occurred on Saturday and Sunday around Latifiyah, 20 miles south of Baghdad, the US command said.
American soldiers and helicopters killed 16 suspected al Qaida rebels, including one militant who allegedly had led an April 1 militant attack that downed an AH-64 U.S. Apache helicopter and killed the two soldiers aboard in the Youssifiyah area, about 12 miles south of Baghdad.
A new al-Qaida group had claimed responsibility for downing that Apache and posted a gruesome video on the web showing men dragging the burning body of what appeared to be an American soldier across a field as they shouted “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is great". |