9 Iraqis Killed, Including 4 Executed by Death Squads, 3 US-Recruited Fighters by US Fire, According to February 16, 2008 News Reports

Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

Yaqen.net news agency reported the killing of one soldier and wounding two others in Diala.

3 Sahwa fighters killed by U.S. fire in Babel
Babel - Voices of Iraq
Saturday , 16 /02 /2008 Time 7:29:33
Babel, Feb 16, (VOI) –

Three (US-recruited) Sahwa (Awakening) tribal fighters were killed by U.S. fire during a landing operation north of Hilla on Saturday morning, followed by an announced withdrawal by the Sahwa fighters, an official source from Babel police said.

"U.S. forces conducted a landing operation in the area of Abad Weis in Jerf al-Sakhr, (60 km) north of Hilla. The U.S. soldiers opened their fire at a gathering of Sahwa men, killing three of them without any apparent reason," the source, who did not want his name mentioned, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).

The Sahwa fighters staged a demonstration after the incident and announced their withdrawal from any activities in this area.

"The U.S. forces killed 19 Sahwa fighters and wounded more than 12 others in just one month and a half," Sabah al-Janabi, the chief of the Sahwa forces in the area, told VOI.
"After each incident, the U.S. forces claim that it occurred by mistake. The U.S. side promises to offer an apology and compensations for the victims' relatives but does not fulfill these pledges," said Janabi.

"Therefore, we announce our withdrawal from the Sahwa council and leave any duty assigned to the Sahwa fighters," he stressed.
Hilla, the capital of Babel, lies 100 km south of Baghdad.

AE
4 unidentified bodies found in Ramadi
Anbar - Voices of Iraq
Saturday , 16 /02 /2008 Time 7:29:33
Anbar, Feb 16, (VOI) –

The Iraqi police found four unidentified bodies in the city of al-Ramadi on Saturday, police said.
"A police patrol found four unidentified bodies on a road in the area of al-Tameem, southwest of Ramadi," a police officer told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI) on customary condition of anonymity.

"The four bodies, clad in civilian clothes, showed signs of having been shot in the head," the source said, adding no identification cards were found with them.
Ramadi, the capital of the predominantly Sunni province of al-Anbar, lies 110 km west of Baghdad.

Earlier in Anbar on Saturday a security source said policemen found five bodies 10 km east of Ramadi and captured a leading operative of al-Qaeda network involved in the killing of those five people.

AE
Army soldier killed, 2 policemen wounded in Diala
Diala - Voices of Iraq
Saturday , 16 /02 /2008 Time 7:29:33
Diala, Feb 16, (VOI) –

An Iraqi army soldier was killed and two policemen wounded in two separate incidents on Saturday, an official security source in Diala said.

"An armed group suspected of belonging to al-Qaeda network attacked a checkpoint of the Iraqi army's 5th Division in al-Mafraq neighborhood, central Ba'aqouba, killing a soldier," the source, who did not want to be named, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).

Meanwhile, the same source added, an "improvised explosive device (IED) went off in Buhrez district, (5 km) south of Ba'aqouba, near a police vehicle, wounding two policemen."
Ba'aqouba, the capital of Diala province, lies 57 km northeast of Baghdad.

AE

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