100 'militants' held in Baghdad
2005-07-04 19:03
Baghdad - The United States and Iraqi forces raided suspected insurgent safe houses near Baghdad International Airport on Monday, arresting at least 100 suspected militants, including foreign fighters, said the military.
In Cairo, the family of Egypt's top envoy to Iraq, who was abducted during the weekend in Baghdad, pleaded for the diplomat's speedy release and said it had heard nothing of his whereabouts.
Ihab al-Sherif's abduction was an apparent bid to dissuade Arab governments from strengthening ties to the US-backed government.
Police said a car bomb detonated by remote control in western Baghdad on Monday killed two civilians, including one woman, and wounded four people.
Bodyguard killed
A party spokesperson said elsewhere, four gunmen killed a senior member of the Kurdish Democratic Party's Mosul branch. Jirjis Mohammed Amin was shot inside his sister's home in the northern city.
Police said a second attack by gunmen in Mosul, 360km northwest of Baghdad, killed a bodyguard of the provincial Nineveh governor.
He was killed in front of his home in the eastern part of the city, which was the capital of Nineveh province.
The military said in the Iraqi capital, about 600 Iraqi army soldiers and 250 US soldiers took part in operation muthana strike, which started early on Monday and targeted alleged insurgents safe houses in neighbourhoods near the west side of the Baghdad International Airport.
Detain suspects, seize illegal weapon
It said at least 100 suspected insurgents, including alleged foreign fighters, were arrested. Those captured included Egyptian suspects.
The raid, which the military said was based on tips from local residents, was designed to detain suspects, seize illegal weapons and gain intelligence to disrupt future attacks.
US colonel Kenneth Roberts said: "The success of the Iraqi army demonstrates their level of training and high commitment to rid Iraq of terrorists.
"I am proud of our Iraqi counterparts. They are well led and well trained. I congratulate them on their successful operation."
The operation concluded about 09:30.
40 'insurgents' captured
The military said on Monday a joint US-Iraqi patrol came under fire on Sunday south of Baghdad, killing five Iraqi soldiers and wounding three.
There were no reports of American casualties. Up to 40 suspected insurgents were captured after the attack in Youssifiyah, 20km south of Baghdad.
Doctors said elsewhere, gunmen in Baghdad killed an Iraqi painting contractor who worked with a US military base.
Omar Othman and a friend were driving on Baghdad's dangerous airport road on Monday morning when the assailants opened fire. Othman's friend was wounded.
Police said, separately, the Iraqi army found the beheaded corpse of an unidentified man with his hands tied behind his back on Monday in Bani Zaid village, north of Baghdad.
- AP