Sunni bastion sealed off after bloody Baghdad battle

[maddezmom]

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi troops sealed off a notorious stronghold of Sunni insurgents in central Baghdad following a day of heavy fighting in which at least 50 militants were killed, an official said.

The firefights which on Tuesday had rocked the Haifa Street sector of the war-torn capital had ended but troops were out in force on the streets and most residents stayed indoors, witnesses said.

The Iraqi army backed by US forces, fighter jets and helicopter gunships launched a massive operation before dawn Tuesday aimed at flushing out Sunni insurgents holed up in Haifa Street but by nightfall the sound of gunfire died down.

"The fighting has eased now and the Iraqi army has sealed off the entire area," defence ministry spokesman Ibrahim Shaker told AFP Wednesday.

The US military said around 1,000 Iraqi troops were involved in the operation in Haifa Street, which is less than two kilometres (just over a mile) from the heavily fortified Green Zone -- the seat of Iraq's government and the US embassy.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070110/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunrestbaghdad_070110083930

[malaise]

1. Guess that means the Shiite

militias backed by the Americans lynched some more Iraqis who do not welcome the occupation of their country.

[xchrom]

2. so the insurgents disappeared.

they'll let you know when their back in action.

they've multiplied by quite a bit after three years of george bouncing his ass along the ground.

[saigon68]

4. They'll be back

That's the fun of all of this

[xchrom]

5. exactly so.

[Az_lefty]

8. yep. They used to be in Fallujah, now their right outside the Green Zone.

:hide:

[acmavm]

3. And now bush** will have to explain to his Saudi buddies why this

little massacre happened. Everytime something like this happens, when Shi'ites with the assistance and backing of US troops go into Sunni areas and destroy it and kill the inhabitants, it just brings everyone just a little closer to more regional violence. They talk about Iran being involved in the chaos. Wait until the Saudi get really pissed.

Look what they did to us in New York.

[leesa]

6. Bush is going to force the surrounding Sunni nations to respond by committing genocide

against the Iraqi Sunnis.

He WILL get his war on.

Hold on to your kids.

[PurityOfEssence]

7. "Urban Pacification" and body counts

Of course, there's no parallel...

[Eugene]

9. AP: 15 Militants Nabbed in Heart of Baghdad

15 Militants Nabbed in Heart of Baghdad


Wednesday January 10, 2007 2:31 PM

AP Photo BAG101

By SINAN SALAHEDDIN

Associated Press Writers

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraqi and U.S. troops chased militants in and out of alleys and
conducted house-to-house searches Wednesday in a central Baghdad neighborhood,
a day after fierce fighting that killed 50 insurgents.

An Iraqi army officer said 15 suspects had been arrested in Baghdad's troubled Haifa
Street section. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.

U.S. and Iraqi forces spent the day Wednesday in a mopping up operation, trying to
ensure that insurgent forces were cleared from the dangerous neighborhood. The Haifa
Street region has come under attack by Americans several times in the war, only to see
the return of militant gunmen when the military pressure eased.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6335681,00.html

Article continues with an update on the new security plan and a sign
that it may already be in trouble.