Airstrike Continues U.S. Killing Spree In Sadr City
BAGHDAD (Agencie France Presse) — A US air strike in Baghdad’s Shiite bastion of Sadr City on Thursday killed at least four people as U.S. targeting and killing of Mahdi Army militants and their leaders continued for a fifth straight day in the radical cleric Moqtada Al Sadr’s center of power.
Six people were wounded in the air strike just after midnight near Al-Albaith mosque in the centre of Sadr City, stronghold of the Shiite radical clericwhose Mahdi Army militiamen are fighting with Iraqi and US forces.
Residents of the sprawling eastern Baghdad district which has been under vehicle curfew since March 28 reported sporadic firefights punctuated by mortar fire through the night and into the morning.
Around 70 militants have been killed and scores wounded since the U.S. began an offensive in Sadr City on Sunday, more than 20 on Wednesday alone, according to security and medical officials.
The US military says it is chasing “criminals” firing rockets into Baghdad and the heavily-fortified Green Zone where the Iraqi government and US embassy are based.
It said on Thursday it had killed 13 “criminals” in operations the previous 24 hours in Sadr City and northwest Shuala neighbourhood, another Mahdi Army stronghold.
In one incident, a combined US-Iraqi checkpoint was attacked from a nearby rooftop by small arms fire and troops retaliated, killing one of the attackers, a military statement said.
Another four fighters were killed when troops retaliated after they were attacked with rocket-propelled grenades at a checkpoint, while an airstrike on Wednesday night killed four gunmen after they attacked Iraqi troops.
Another four militiamen were killed in firefights, the US military statement said.
At least 12 US soldiers have been killed in Baghdad since Sunday, most of them in Sadr City, according to an AFP tally based on American military statements.
They have been killed in different incidents by rockets, roadside bombs, rocket-propelled grenades or small arms fire.
US President George W. Bush is to give a speech in Washington on Iraq and US troop levels at 11:30 am (1530 GMT) on Thursday, the White House said.
Sadr fighters began clashing with security forces across Shiite regions of Iraq on March 25 after Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered a crackdown on militiamen in the southern city of Basra.
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Ten percent of Sadr City has islamorabies.
April 10th, 2008 at 2:00 amThe body count of the Islamists and Sadrists would be never mentioned on MSM, because for them its bad news since the Liberal MSM are the Islamist Cheerleaders that would rather take US casualties as good news in order for them to have a Leftist-Dumbocratic President in office…Shame!
April 10th, 2008 at 2:52 amNice title, I would love to find out the real kill ratio.
April 10th, 2008 at 3:44 am[[Around 70 militants have been killed and scores wounded since the U.S. began an offensive in Sadr City on Sunday,]]
April 10th, 2008 at 3:57 amThe son-in-law was under some of those rocket attacks in the Green Zone before he came home and talking to his buddies still there, they are very,very glad they are finally sweeping the gunners out of Sadr City. They could not return fire because of the enemy hiding in civilian areas, only way was boots on the ground.
April 10th, 2008 at 5:46 am[[They could not return fire because of the enemy hiding in civilian areas, only way was boots on the ground.]]
Liquidate the mehdi piglets.
April 10th, 2008 at 6:29 amSo we;re on a killing spree huh? Wow, I never knew we were a serial killer…
Assholes.
April 10th, 2008 at 6:31 amI took that title as a sly joke from Pat! A killing spree we can all get behind!
April 10th, 2008 at 6:46 amIt took way too long for us to go in after the rats. It reminds me of the tunnel rats in VN… now that our troops are cleaning house so to speak, we need to let them. Yeah we are going to see a ton of anti US reports from around the globe regarding the deaths of civilians, and the numbers of thigs dead will rarely be mentioned. We are going to repeatedly be exposed to video of ladies crying over the deaths of their children and grandchildren. Maybe the stupid shits should be pointing out where the bad guys are so they can be eliminated more easily, rather than helping to try to hide them.
If you keep scorpions and snakes in your house, sooner or later you will be bitten or stung, or both
April 10th, 2008 at 7:24 amIt’s not always about the battle check this out from Totten about marines having to do noncombat to win the war
April 10th, 2008 at 8:22 amhttp://www.michaeltotten.com/