38 insurgents killed in Baghdad fighting: US

Baghdad, Nov 9: US forces killed 38 suspected insurgents and wounded nine in fighting in northern Baghdad that lasted nearly an hour-and-a-half on Sunday, the US military said.

In a statement describing the fighting yesterday, which occurred on the same day Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death, it said US forces were attacked by rifle fire and rocket-propelled grenades from both north and south of a US base.

The military said there were no US casualties but one Humvee vehicle was damaged.

''The ... soldiers immediately responded to their attackers, killing 38 and wounding nine in a nearly 1.5 hour-long battle with the terrorists,'' the military said.

Baghdad was under a tight curfew on Sunday to avoid a violent backlash after a court issued the verdict against Saddam on charges of crimes against humanity.

Police reported a string of mortar attacks on Sunday and Monday.

REUTERS

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