Americans sure of Ezzat Ibrahim role, occupation kills 14 Iraqis, two US soldiers killed
Two American soldiers were killed in Baghdad yesterday in two separate incidents at a time when the occupation forces intensified breaking in operations and air and land bombardment in the context of efforts to eliminate the Iraqi resistance.
An American spokesman said yesterday that one American soldier was killed and two other wounded near Balad city after their procession was exposed to an attack by light weapons and RPJ fire. The second soldier was killed when he was on board of a vehicle blown up in the south of Balad.
The American forces announced an incident which took place on the Syrian- Iraqi borders in which "6 foreign fighters" were arrested and killed one of them who tried to attack one American soldier by a knife, according to the American statement. The statement added that passports and travel tickets and money were found with the detainees but no further detail was given.
In the context of flexing muscles, an American force on Monday at dawn attacked positions in Tikrit where six Iraqi were killed. A plane for the second times within days dropped a bomb of 225 Kg weight to the south of Tikrit yesterday.
In Sameraa, the Americans killed three Iraqis, the occupation said they had opened fire at US soldiers. The US also killed two Iraqis in al-Miqdadeyah as they attacked an American procession by a mortar.
The occupation forces also killed yesterday three Iraqis in al-Mreidi market for selling weapons in Baghdad as the American soldiers opened fire at shoppers, in the belief that one American vehicle was exposed to an attack after bullets firing was heard and it became clear that it was just a result of testing a weapon by one client, according to the Iraqi police. A 11- year old boy was killed in the incident.
Some 150 American soldiers took place in a mopping up operation in Baghdad targeting positions suspected to be used by the resistance in their attacks against the Americans. The occupation stressed that 50 persons were detained in Baghdad and the surrounding areas reaching to al-Musil city to the north. Among the detainees was Kazem Muhammad Fares, better known as "Abu Kahef." He is a former officer in the special Iraqi forces and a leading figure in "Fedayee Saddam" according to the American statement.
The statement added that Fares has good relations with Sarhan who is on the list of most wanted Iraqis pursued by the US forces. Also Latif and Salif Ibrahim, the two brothers of Lt. Hen. Khami Ibrahim who was jailed at the beginning of this month in Falouja. He was an active member on "Jerusalem army" which was established by the former Iraqi president.
The Iraqi Central Bank was targeted in Baghdad on Sunday evening by shelling, with one of which fell on a Keldan church which dates back to the 19th century, close to the bank. A matter which raised a complaint from the Vatican.
However, hundreds of new members of the Iraqi police demonstrated yesterday and blocked a main street in front of the headquarters of the Interim Governing Council for three hours in protest for not having their salaries paid and for the small amount of these salaries which does not exceed 120 dollars per month.
Meantime, the American military spokesman Mark Kemet said that the American forces got more information which indicate that the deputy chairman of the Iraqi Revolution Leadership Council in the former regime Ezzat Ibrahim al-Douri is directly involved in killing several coalition soldiers. Ezzat Ibrahim is also on the list of most wanted by the Americans.