Three killed in Baqouba, American forces prepare to invade Falluja
Iraq, Military, 10/27/2004

It seems that the American forces are preparing for an expanded military operation against Falluja city to the west of Baghdad as they reinforced positions around the city after the renewed air raids on Tuesday morning. The American soldiers backed by tanks and armored vehicles closed the main road of Falluja and war planes flew in the skies of the city.

The American army announced that one of the aides of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in the air raid yesterday at dawn. A statement by the army said that the raid targeted a house where fighters belong to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi group are hiding, suspected to have links to al-Qaida organization.

The US sources said the recent military raids resulted in great damages in what it called al-Zarqawi network and weakened its ability to launch attacks.

It is decided, however, that the British forces in the southern areas of Baghdad will be deployed to compensate for the American Marine troops which will carry out the Falluja operation with the aims of subjugating it ultimately to the control of the interim Iraqi government before the elections which are due by the beginning of January 2005.

Families continued to flee from the city of fears of the expected military action. The people of Falluja deny the accusations made by the Americans and the interim government of sheltering al-Zarqawi and gunmen of his groups.

In al-Nassaf area to the west of Falluja, one American armored vehicle was damaged when a bomb went off implanted by unidentified people.

Meantime, the chairman of Falluja delegation Sheikh Khaled al-Jumeili said in statements that the government has ultimately abrogated the negotiations with the delegation. This was also confirmed by another member in the delegation. He is Abdul Hamid al-Jaddou. He said that the defense minister Hazem al-Shaalan told the delegation that matters have become out of the hands of the government.

However, a spokesman for the ministry of defense denied that the government has refused the negotiations, saying that the Interim Iraqi government will spare no efforts to rescue the people of Falluja from what he described as terrorists.

On the other hand, the Iraqi police announced the killing of three persons including one member of the Deyali governorate Nimat Abed Saleh in attacks yesterday morning in Baqouba to the northern east of Baghdad.

Baqouba witnessed violent clashes between the American forces and gunmen yesterday at dawn following the attack at a joint headquarters for the American forces and the Iraqi police.

In Basra to the south of Baghdad, a spokesman for the British army said that one group from the fourth contingent who arrived recently was exposed to the fire of light weapons to the south of the city. News reports said that clashes took place between gunmen and the British forces while carrying out search campaign for weapons.

In Musil to the north, the American army said that one booby trapped car went off in the downtown of the city before it was defused by the American forces. No casualties were reported, while the Iraqi police announced that two cars went off when one American procession was running nearby.

In al-Ramadi city, four Iraqis were injured by the fire of the American forces after they were attacked by a booby trapped car in the downtown of the city.

Previous Stories:
  Barnier: we do hope for the release of the two French hostages shortly   (10/26/2004)
  IAAE: hundreds of tons of explosives lost in Iraq   (10/26/2004)
  One American soldier, several Iraqis killed in different explosions   (10/26/2004)
  Shaalan: Libyan interferes in Iraq's affairs   (10/25/2004)
  American diplomat killed in Baghdad, six Iraqis in Falluja   (10/25/2004)
  American forces kill two girls in Falluja, break into a mosque in Musil   (10/23/2004)

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