Fierce Fighting in Northern Iraq City; Hostages Freed in South

[hang a left]

Fierce Fighting in Northern Iraq City; Hostages Freed in South

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/04/international/middleeast/04CND-IRAQ.html?hp



AGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 4 — Fighting erupted between Iraqi police officers and insurgents in the northern city of Mosul today, leaving at least 12 people dead and dozens more wounded, and prompting city authorities to impose a curfew.

Farther south, six foreigners taken hostage by insurgents were freed, some through a rescue raid staged by local leaders.


In Mosul, dozens of gun-toting insurgents wearing masks got out of a van in the city center around noon and began spraying bullets along two main roads. Iraqi policemen opened fire and the groups battled for at least three hours, witnesses said.

The fighting in Mosul was the fiercest since the American invasion more than a year ago and raised the specter that the insurgency — already strong in large areas of the so-called Sunni Triangle — has taken hold in the north.

[bowens43]

1. Thank God they're free!!!

We liberated the hell out of them!

[mike_c]

2. "dozens of insurgents got out of a van...."

How many dozens of insurgents can fit in a van?

[AwareOne]

3. Must have been one of those clown vans

seriously though, I heard no American troops were involved. We're holed up in our strongholds and the Iraqis are on their own.