US Army cordons off al-Doura in preparation for massive attack

By Mohammad Al-Ghazzi BAGHDAD, Oct 7 (KUNA) -- US troops on Sunday cordoned off various neighborhoods in the area of al-Doura southern Baghdad, in preparation for launching a military operation against militias using the area as a barricade.
The troops, and via megaphones, urged residents to evacuate the area before the Army conducts the storming operation, which will also witness aerial attacks, according to a source at the multinational force in Iraq.
Residents who fled the area to nearby ones told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that US army patrols allowed only women and 13-year-old children or younger to leave the area, where men were ordered to stay in position for searching.
Sources at the multinational force in Iraq told KUNA that the operation aimed at attacking a group of armed men, who were accused of launching a missile attack yesterday on al-Saqer military base.
Meanwhile, Iraqi police said this morning that nine civilians lost their lives and four others were injured due to two explosive devices' explosions east and south of Baghdad.
Spokesman of Baghdad Law Enforcement Plan General Qassim Atta said last Monday the militants incurred heavy losses as result of joint security force operations. He told KUNA that replacing national police forces with army personnel was a "procedural arrangement" so that all forces have the chance to regroup. (end) mhg.hb KUNA 071607 Oct 07NNNN