- BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S.
forces struck suspected guerrilla targets in Baghdad with mortars, artillery
and gunships on Thursday on the second night of a crackdown against anti-American
attackers in the Iraqi capital.
-
- The sound of explosions and bursts of artillery fire
echoed across the city and tracer fire lit up the night sky.
-
- A military spokesman said U.S. forces attacked three
sites across the city, including a building used by insurgents on Wednesday
to attack on American soldiers with rockets.
-
- The strikes were part of Operation Iron Hammer, an offensive
against guerrillas whose attacks on U.S. forces in Baghdad have grown ever
bolder in recent days.
-
- "We are going after locations that the enemy are
using to launch attacks," Captain David Gercken of the U.S. Army's
1st Armored Division told Reuters.
-
- "We're making sure they have no place to meet, no
place to plan attacks and no place to store weapons. There will be no safe
havens."
-
- He said ground and air units had struck locations near
Baghdad's international airport to the south of the city, near Abu Ghraib
prison on the city's western outskirts and in eastern Baghdad.
-
- On Wednesday, an AC-130 Spectre gunship destroyed a Baghdad
warehouse which the U.S. military said was being used to plan attacks on
its forces.
-
- Two Iraqis were killed in helicopter strike on a van
which U.S. forces said was used to launch mortars.
-
- In the last 10 days, Iraqi guerrillas have launched several
night-time mortar attacks on the headquarters of the U.S.-led administration
in central Baghdad.
-
- Insurgents opposed to the U.S.-led occupation have killed
156 U.S. soldiers in Iraq since President Bush declared major combat over
on May 1.
-
- "Operation Iron Hammer will continue tonight, tomorrow
and in the coming days," said Gercken.
-
-
-
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