U.S. forces battled with Iraqi fighters through the night till Tuesday morning in the so-called Sunni Triangle west of Baghdad.
Iraqi security sources said five Iraqis were killed and at least seven others were injured in fighting that erupted late Monday in the province of al-Anbar.
In another development, a roadside bomb exploded Tuesday on the main highway leading to Baghdad's international airport during the passage of a U.S. military convoy.
In the city of Basra, 550 kilometers south of Baghdad, an explosive charge targeted a convoy of British forces patrolling the area, but inflicted no casualties. Witnesses said an Iraqi was injured in the explosion and two civilian cars parked nearby were damaged.
Elsewhere, U.S. troops raided the home of an official working for Iraqi top cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and detained him, an official in the Iraqi cleric's office said Tuesday.
The military detained Ridha al-Hassani, who works in
al-Sadr's office in Karbala, following the pre-dawn raid Monday, officials in al-Sadr's office said.
There were no reports of injuries or clashes during the
raid. The military would not comment the report and it was
not clear why al-Hassani was detained. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
