U.S., Iraqi troops start a major new offensive

By ALEXANDRA ZAVIS
The Associated Press

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BAGHDAD, Iraq — More than 3,000 U.S. and Iraqi forces launched a major operation yesterday against insurgent strongholds just south of Baghdad, their second such mission in five days. The operation in Babil province — an area notorious for kidnappings and ambushes and home to the ancient city of Babylon — follows last week's U.S.-Iraqi drive to oust insurgent forces from Samarra, about 60 miles north of Baghdad.

The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Iraqi forces went into action after a string of bombings set off clashes between U.S. troops and gunmen west of Baghdad and in the northern city of Mosul, and as the discovery of five beheaded bodies over two days indicated the pace of such grisly killings was also surging. The Marines and Iraqis crossed the Euphrates River, rounded up 160 suspects, seized a suspected training camp and took control of a bridge spanning the Euphrates that is believed to be a favored corridor linking insurgent areas around Baghdad, Fallujah and towns farther south.

The U.S. military lost significant areas of Iraq to insurgents after Saddam Hussein's ouster.

U.S. and Iraqi forces are trying to curb the mounting insurgency in order to hold national elections throughout the country in January. Some U.S. officials have expressed doubt that balloting will be possible in uncontrolled areas.

Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said attacks against insurgent strongholds would increase but acknowledged the security challenge was a "source of worry."

Allawi's government has been negotiating with followers of renegade Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to halt weeks of fighting with U.S. troops in the Baghdad district of Sadr City. However, clashes between al-Sadr's militia and American troops continued despite the talks.

U.S. troops also battled gunmen in an insurgent stronghold west of Baghdad and in Mosul after a series of bombings. At least five U.S. soldiers were wounded.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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