Iraq: A breaking in operation in Baqouba, Saddam leads resistance operations

One American soldier was killed and other two wounded in an explosion targeting an American vehicle in Musil in the north of Iraq. An American military spokesman said that the killed soldier is from the airborne contingent 101.

Meantime, commander of the American (US) forces in Iraq Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez said in a press conference yesterday that the pace of what he called violence will increase the few coming months, noting that his forces will continue to go after the attackers.

A statement for the occupation authorities yesterday said that a 12 year old Iraqi child was killed in a bomb explosion which was hidden in a pile of waste in Alexandria quarters to the south east of Baghdad.

Meanwhile, the American occupation forces detained four Iraqis during a campaign of inspection and arrest, in one of the villages to the north of Baqouba yesterday morning, that lasted for three hours.

A group of 65 US soldiers broke into two houses in Haad al-Akhdar town, to the north of Baqouba, and detained Adnan Abed Haseem and three of his brothers on charge of having weapons and planning attacks against the American forces.

To this end, a leader of a tribe pro the toppled Iraqi president said that Saddam Hussein continued to lead military operations against the American and British forces from west Iraq.

The tribal leader, who alleged that he had met with Saddam, said that the operations are centered in the provinces of al-Anbar, Deyali, Baghdad, Salah Eddine, Karkouk, and Ninwa and the majority of its executors and financers are Iraqis.

The tribal Sheikh who introduced himself as Abu Muhammad added that Saddam Hussein presided in the month of Ramadan a meeting in al-Ramadi, to the west of Baghdad, that included scores of his aides.