Continued killing in Iraq

Two American helicopters were exposed on Tuesday to fire to the west of Iraq and this resulted in damaging one of them before the two copters destroyed the car from which the fire was opened, according to a statement by the American army.

Later, one American soldier was killed and other six injured in two booby trapped car explosions. The first targeted an American military vehicle on the road in al-Amel quarters near Baghdad airport and the second targeted American forces came to evacuate the wounded persons of the first attack. Four Iraqis were killed in the two attacks and other 7 were injured. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on the Internet.

In a new development, a new statement on the Internet said that two (unknown) Islamic groups joined al-Qaida organization in Mesopotamia which is led by al-Zarqawi. The two organizations of "Saraya al-Ghadab al-Islami" (Islamic anger groups) and "Kataeib Abu al-Yaman al- Madaeni" (Abu al-Yaman al-Madaeni groups) joined al-Qaida organization in Mesopotamia which is led by al-Zarqawi.

The American soldiers killed the deputy commander of the Iraqi army in al-Anbar governorate to the west of Iraq at one of the check points. One Iraqi security source said the American forces opened fire at lt. Gen. Ismael Sweid while leaving his base in Baghdadi area in al-Ramadi city leaving for his house.