At least nine killed in Baghdad gun battle
Iraqi soldiers came under fire during a raid targeting an insurgent leader in eastern Baghdad today, sparking a gun battle, the US military said.
Iraqi police said nine people were killed and 14 wounded in the fighting in the Shiite district.
The early morning raid was part of a massive security operation launched last month to crack down on violence in the capital, and was aimed at capturing “an insurgent leader responsible for numerous deaths of Iraqi ctizens,” the statement said.
But the forces were “immediately engaged by insurgents and a firefight ensued,” the statement said, adding that no Iraqi or coalition forces were wounded or killed during the operation.
TVs footage showed a burned-out long tent in the area of Sadr City where the raid occurred, with dishes still stacked on the ground. A hospital official said 34 people were wounded.
