LOC11:23
08:23 GMT
BAGHDAD, March 30 (KUNA) -- The American Army in Iraq has announced the
killing of 55 armed militiamen in separate incidents in middle and southern
Iraq in the past 24 hours, as government regular forces pressed on with
military action against the militants throughout the country.
The army said in a statement troops from the eighth Iraqi task military
force and special US forces have killed 13 armed men and destroyed two of
their vehicles in Suwayrah, northern Al-Koot town, southern Baghdad.
Government Iraqi forces killed six armed persons in Basra during the
ongoing military operation, "the onslaught of the cavalrymen (in Arabic Saolat
el Forsan), west of the city, while American planes bombed positions of the
militants killing 16 of them, the statement said, with no mention of the
attack's exact places.
In Baghdad, the statement said the American soldiers from the
Multi-National Forces participated in supporting the local security forces in
action against the gunmen, killing 11 armed men during a number of operations
east of the capital where clashes with Al-Mahdi Army militants took place.
In a separate incident, the American Army mentioned killing nine militants
in the Baghdad suburban region of Al-Sadr city, when some armed men attempted
to attack an American security position.
Fighting between the regulars against the militants has been raging for
five days in the suburbs of Baghdad, the southern city of Basra and other
towns and locations.
A curfew imposed by the government in the capital has resulted in shortage
of food and other basic materials including medicines. Prices of the major
commodities have also risen. More than 200 people have been killed since the
fighting broke out. (end)
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