Four Americans killed; Occupation forces detain former Iraqi minister of Interior
The American army announced the killing of one US civilian that belongs to a religious group and wounding of other three in an ambush planted against a rented car they were riding in between Babel and Baghdad provinces yesterday evening.
The wounded Americans told the soldiers that they came to Iraq as " members of a religious group."
News reports in Iraq said that the Iraqi police arrested Muhammad Zammam Abdul Razzaq al-Sadoun, the former official responsible for the Baath party organization in Ninawa and al-Tamim, whose name is listed among Iraqis most wanted by the American forces. Al-Sadoun had the post of the minister of the interior in Iraq in 2000.
Meantime, one American convoy was exposed to an attack by unidentified gunmen in al-Adel quarters in Baghdad. Armed men in a car opened fire at the procession while running on one of the highways and this resulted in complete burning of the car.
The US refused to comment on the incidents or to give details but admitted that the attack took place. Witnesses said they heard fire and say American soldiers evacuated three wounded from the site of the attack.
On the other hand, an American military spokesman announced the killing of one American soldier from the air-born contingent 82 in a car accident last Friday near Baghdad.
At the same level, one official in the Iraqi police said the American forces killed yesterday ( Sunday) two persons that attacked with Katyusha missiles the Iraqi civil defense forces in Yayji, to the west of Karkouk.
Meanwhile, tension prevailed in Falouja, to the west of Baghdad, following the two attacks at the police center and district administrator on Saturday, and resulted in killing 27 Iraqis, including 23 policemen and wounding other 37.
Iraqi police sources estimated the number of attackers at 40 who came in 10 cars and carried out the two attack simultaneously using machine guns and missiles.
As a result of the attack on the police center, some 50 prisoners fled. For its part, the American occupation forces hurried to support the Iraqi police forces in the operations to search for the fleeing prisoners.