The U.S. military said Friday that the fighting between Sunnis and Iraqi police near Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, killed one civilian and 24 police. U.S. troops later joined the fight, aiding in a counterattack in which 18 Sunni figters died, the military said.
"Anti-Iraqi forces" ambushed a police unit based in Baqouba at about 6:30 a.m. Thursday, the military said. According to the AP, eight "insurgents" were also injured and 27 others captured, the military said.
Meanwhile, no shootings or bomb attacks were reported Friday in Baghdad, which saw violence, especially sectarian attacks, spike over Ramadan. Since Ramadan's end, killings in parts of Baghdad where security forces have established a firm presence have dropped by 10 percent to 20 percent, U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell said Thursday.
