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BAGHDAD - Two United States soldiers were killed and four wounded in an attack on their vehicle southwest of Baghdad yesterday as thousands of troops swept around Iraq's capital in a co-ordinated operation against militants, the military said.
The combined US and Iraqi Army operations signal a new phase in Washington's Iraq strategy.
The military is going on the offensive to crush al Qaeda and other militants, who have defied a major crackdown to secure Baghdad by hiding out in the lush green farmlands and towns bordering the Iraqi capital.
US authorities also said five Iraqi civilians died and six were wounded when an insurgent's rocket destroyed a building in the Al Mansour district of Baghdad, from about 16km away.
"This attack was not aimed at any specific targets. It is most likely a way to incite sectarian violence," said Captain Aquila Knopf, an intelligence officer. At least 46 militants have been killed, 13 wanted individuals captured and a large quantity of weapons seized in the current offensive.
South of the capital, 17 boats were destroyed to disrupt militant operations on the Tigris River. North of Baghdad, 10,000 mostly US troops supported by attack helicopters, Stryker and Bradley armoured fighting vehicles are entering the third day of an offensive against al Qaeda militants in volatile Diyala province.
- REUTERS
