US military operations in Anbar governorate, west Iraq

A medical source said that one Iraqi civilian was killed and other two injured in a fire exchange between gunmen and the American army in the center of Ramadi city.

This coincided with the announcement made by the Iraqi defense ministry at the beginning of the joint military operation for the special forces of the Iraqi police ( al-Maghaweir), supported by the American forces in the areas of al-Taji, al-Taremeyah and al-Mushahada north of Baghdad. The source explained that the operation came after intelligence information was received stating that there are gunmen in these areas where the forces are carrying out breaking in operations during which scores of suspects were arrested.

In a statement, the Iraqi Islamic Party criticized this military operation and it called on the UN and the Arab League to interfere in order to stop it. The statement called on the Iraqi government to halt all armed operations and to implement the decisions of the Cairo summit for the Iraqi reconciliation so as to enable carrying out the elections on December 15th.