2 US soldiers, 13 civilians die in Iraq - Monday, November 07, 2005

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2005%5C11%5C07%5Cstory_7-11-2005_pg7_46

Monday, November 07, 2005

2 US soldiers, 13 civilians die in Iraq

* US, Iraqis edge forward in western Iraq offensive
* Dozens of insurgents reportedly killed

BAGHDAD: At least 13 people including a 12-day-old baby were killed in Iraq on Saturday, as dozens of insurgents were reportedly killed in a US-led offensive to quell sporadic resistance in the country.

US and Iraqi troops hunted down Sunni Arab insurgents, who fought back with rifles and makeshift bombs, on the second day of an offensive in a border town that aims to quell rebellion in western Iraq before December polls.

Meanwhile, two US soldiers were killed in Baghdad on Friday. A soldier was killed when a bomb exploded as his patrol passed the east of Baghdad, and a second one “was killed by small-arms fire” south of Baghdad, the military said. Operation Steel Curtain, the biggest operation in the mainly Sunni desert province of Anbar in a year, met with resistance on Sunday, said military officials who would not confirm a report that dozens of insurgents had been killed.

Masked gunmen opened fire on a minivan, killing 13 people in north Baghdad. A six-year-old boy and his 18-year-old cousin were the only survivors. The violence raised fears of sectarian tensions driving the campaign for the December 15 election, when minority Sunni Arabs are expected to vote in large numbers for the first time.

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. The Bush WH must be pleased. The death rate is consistent if nothing else.