109 Iraqis were killed in Sameraa, preventing prayers in al-Koufa
The American forces announced it had killed 109 persons in its attack it had launched against Sameraa city in the early hours of Friday morning and a statement by the American forces admitted the killing of one American soldier and wounding other four in the attack.
For his part, the minister of state for security affairs in the Interim Iraqi government Qasem Dawoud said that the American forces supported by the Iraqi forces detained 27 persons and killed other 100 in the city situated to the north of Baghdad.
Iraqi medical and security sources said that 21 persons were killed and other 35 injured only in the operation which lasted for several hours.
The Iraqi police which supported the American forces in its attack against the city stressed that it was able to control the downtown of the city and most of its quarters, noting that the operation is continuous to exterminate what it called terrorists.
An American military statement said that the operation "supports the Iraqi Interim government and the people in Sameraa," remaking thereby the attempt to ensure the atmospheres for the elections which will be held in next January.
This also came following statements for the deputy Iraqi prime minister in charge of national security affairs, Barham Saleh, who stressed on Thursday that the government intends to have control once again on what he called the rebellion cities by the fall of November.
In the battle field, sources in al-Mahdi army and medical sources said that 12 persons were killed including 9 members of al-Mahdi army and five were injured in confrontations with the American army in al-Sader city to the east of Baghdad that erupted on Thursday.
On the other hand, news reports said that the Iraqi police prevented Friday prayers in al-Koufa mosque near Najaf to the south of Baghdad for the first time since the collapse of the former regime one and a half years ago. The police dispersed by force and fire the masses of worshippers who arrived in al-Koufa and prevented their arrival in the mosque which is trodden by the supporters of Muqtada al-Sader.