New attack on occupation headquarters in Baghdad; Sanchez: 5,000 detainees including 20 al-Qaida members

Commander of the American (US) forces in Iraq Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez yesterday warned against the possibility of increased attacks against the American forces in Iraq. He disclosed that his forces arrested ( 20 foreign fighters ), noting that they are carrying the Syrian, Sudanese, Yemeni and Egyptian nationalities. This came at a time when attacks escalated against the Iraqi police especially in al-Basra where 6 Iraqis were killed in a bomb explosion.

In his weekly press conference, Sanchez said that number of foreign fighters in Iraq is estimated at 200. He said "we know that they get out and come back and we know from where they do come back." He said that between 25-30 confrontations takes place every day, which is three fold of number of confrontation during summer time. He continued that his forces will "take tougher measures" noting the air bombardment which targeted Tikrit and al-Falouja last week.

A series of explosions hit Baghdad during night time the American forces said were a result of firing three or four mortar shells at the "green zone" surrounding the main headquarters of the occupation administration in Baghdad. The attack comes within a series of attacks targeting this headquarters along the 10 past days.

Six Iraqis were killed yesterday in al-Basra including two police men and other 9 were injured in a bomb explosion implanted near a British checkpoint but no British soldier was there. The Iraqi police said that among the wounded are "school students who were heading to their classes."

In baghdad, two Iraqis were killed and three wounded in a fire exchange in the surrounding of an American base, while the American forces blocked the center of the city in search of explosives and arrested one person at least. When the American soldiers were asked about the reason of shutting the arrested person's mouth by a plaster, they said "he was detained because of his statements against the coalition forces," refusing to say what the man had said.