US military says kills 20 al Qaeda militants in Iraq

Baghdad, Dec 8: US troops killed 20 suspected al Qaeda militants, including two women, during a ground and air operation in central Iraq today, the US military said.

The assault took place in the Thar Thar area of Salahaddin province, north of Baghdad, a Sunni Arab militant stronghold.

''Coalition Forces targeted the location based on intelligence reports that indicated associates with links to multiple al Qaeda in Iraq networks were operating in the area,'' it said in a statement.

Ground forces were searching buildings at the targeted location when they came under heavy machine gunfire from one of the buildings. The ground forces returned fire, killing two militants, it said.

The troops then called in air support, and 18 more militants were killed in the air strike, it added.

Following the operation, US forces confiscated a weapons cache consisting of AK-47 machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, anti-personnel mines, explosives, blasting caps and suicide vests.

''This is another step closer to defeating al Qaeda in Iraq and helping establish a safe and peaceful Iraq. Coalition Forces will continue to target not only senior al Qaeda in Iraq leaders, but all terrorists regardless of their titles or positions within the community,'' the statement said.

A high-level panel in Washington exploring alternatives for US President George W. Bush's strategy in Iraq recommended that the primary mission of US forces in Iraq evolve to one of training to allow Iraqi forces take over combat responsibility.

REUTERS

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