• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

U.S., Iraqi Troops Begin Mosul Operations

Posted on: Tuesday, 16 November 2004, 03:00 CST

MOSUL, Iraq - The U.S. military said Tuesday that American and Iraqi troops have started operations to secure parts of Mosul from insurgents.

U.S. troops and Iraqi security forces began moving in to secure police stations in the western part of the city, said Capt. Angela Bowman, with Task Force Olympia. Mosul is the third largest city in Iraq.

"We are in the process of securing all of police stations and returning the police to these stations to implace a strong police presence," she said. "Some of those stations are in neighborhoods on the western side of the city where there has been insurgent activity and presence. We are now moving through the neighborhood."

The city's five bridges were closed off with the start of operations, she said.

Residents reported U.S. warplanes and helicopters hovering over the city, as loud explosions and gunfire were heard near the American base on the northern edge of Mosul.

Witnesses said three police stations already under the control of insurgents were blown up this morning before the militants left.

The Zuhour police station, and a substation in northeastern Mosul were destroyed, along with Qahira police station in the northern part of the city. No casualties were seen as the stations were controlled by the gunmen.

A mass insurgent uprising began in Mosul last week in apparent support of militants in the rebel bastion of Fallujah, just days after the start of the U.S. offensive there

Masked and armed bands of men stormed more than a half dozen police stations, bridges and political offices in the city, killings dozens.

Source: Associated Press/AP Online

More News in this Category