2 gunmen killed, another wounded in Mosul by helicopter fire
 
Ninewa - Voices of Iraq
Sunday , 30 /03 /2008  Time 11:05:41 
Ninewa, Mar 30, (VOI) –

Two gunmen were killed on Sunday and another was wounded by U.S. helicopter fire in Mosul city, while police forces there released a kidnapped citizen and wounded two armed men, official spokesperson of Ninawa Police Operations Command said.
"One gunman was killed and another was wounded when a U.S. helicopter opened fire on one of the streets in al-Wahda neighborhood, southeast of Mosul," Brigadier Khalid Abdul-Sattar told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).

He added, "Gunmen were attempting to plant a roadside bomb in this area's main road when the helicopter attacked them."
"Fires from another U.S. helicopter killed a gunman in al-Intisar neighborhood, east of Mosul," he explained.

Abdul-Sattar did not mention any further details in this regard.
He also pointed out that Iraqi police forces "wounded two gunmen, seized their vehicle, and released a citizen that they were trying to abduct, in al-Bakir neighborhood – east of Mosul."
"The kidnapped citizen is a civil servant at the customs' directorate, and the gunmen were trying to abduct him from the bus station in the area," Abdul-Sattar clarified.
Mosul, capital city of Ninewa province, is 405 km north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.     
MH/SR

Car bomb explosion leaves 13 casualties in Sala al-Din
 
Salah al-Din - Voices of Iraq
Sunday , 30 /03 /2008  Time 11:05:41 
Salah al-Din-Voices of Iraq
Salah al-Din, Mar30, (VOI)-

Five individuals were killed and eight others wounded when a suicide car bomb exploded near a checkpoint manned by police and anti-Qaeda awakening council forces in Salah al-Din province, police said on Sunday.
"A suicider blew up his car bomb near a checkpoint manned by police forces and Sahwa(awakening) council fighters in Siniya district near oil-refinery Beiji town,killing three Sahwa fightes and two policemen along with eight others wounded", a Salah al-Din police, source who requested anonmity, told Aswat al-Iraq-Voices of Iraq(VOI).
US-assisted Sahwa councils are local tribal groupings set up in Sunni towns to fight al-Qaeda network and boost the stability in their volatile regions.
Beiji of Salah al-Din province, lies 275 north Baghdad.
AM

Beheaded corpse found in Mosul
 
Ninewa - Voices of Iraq
Sunday , 30 /03 /2008  Time 11:05:41  
Ninewa, Mar 30, (VOI) –

Police forces on Sunday found a civilian's corpse beheaded, east of Mosul, said the official spokesperson for Ninewa Operations Command.
"Police forces found a civil servant's corpse at the edges of al-Hamdaniya suburb (east of Mosul)," Brigadier Khalid Abdul-Sattar told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).

He added "the victim is a civil servant of al-Hamdaniya electricity directorate, and the corpse was found with its head and hands cut."
The source did not reveal any further details, but said that the body was transferred to Mosul city morgue.
Al-Hamdaniya suburb, with aChristian majority, is considered one of the safest areas in Ninewa province.  
Mosul, capital city of Ninewa province, is 405 km north of Baghdad – capital city of Iraq.
MH/SR

7 al-Qaeda fighters killed in Mosul
 
Ninewa - Voices of Iraq
Sunday , 30 /03 /2008  Time 11:05:41 
Ninewa, Mar 30, (VOI) –

Seven al-Qaeda in Iraq fighters were killed on Sunday in clashes with police forces west of Mosul city, hours after two policemen were killed in the same area, said the official spokesperson of the Ninewa operations command. 

"Security forces, thanks to intelligence tips, raided a hideout of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq group, in a house in al-Sahachi area, west of Mosul," Brig. Khaled Abdul-Sattar told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).

"The raiding force engaged with people inside the house," Abdul-Sattar said, noting "seven corpses of gunmen were found inside."
"Three car bombs, two explosive belts and different types of arms were seized in the raid," he said.
Earlier on Sunday, the same source said that police chief Col. Ziyad Qassim Sultan and a policeman were killed during the early hours of the day in clashes with fighters of the Islamic State in Iraq.
The group, an extremist organization affiliated to al-Qaeda network, is active in northern Iraq.
Mosul, the capital of Ninewa province, is 405 km north of Baghdad.

MH/AE

35 killed, 113 wounded in Nassiriya clashes
 
Thi-Qar - Voices of Iraq
Sunday , 30 /03 /2008  Time 11:05:41 
Thi-Qar, Mar 30, (VOI) –

Casualties in the clashes that took place in Thi-Qar province during the past four days reached 35 deaths and 113 others wounded, a media spokesman for the Thi-Qar police said on Sunday. 

"The security casualties hit seven deaths and 44 others wounded, while the civilian casualties reached 28 deaths and 60 wounded as a result of mortar shells and missiles fired by the gunmen," Radi al-Rakabi told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).

"Seven gunmen were wounded and arrested while the death toll in gunmen's ranks could not be identified. Ninety-five gunmen were arrested during the past four days of clashes," Rakabi said.
Nassiriya was yet another scene of armed confrontations after others in Basra, 590 km south of Baghdad, the Iraqi capital and other southern provinces, between government forces and armed groups believe to belong to Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militias.

The fighting broke out on Monday night, hours after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced the launching of Operation Saulat al-Forsan (Knights' Assault), which he said targeted ridding Basra, Iraq's second largest city and oil hub, of armed groups.
Earlier on Sunday Rakabi said security forces succeeded in clearing all the southern city districts of gunmen.

"Security forces cleared the northern districts-al-Shuhadaa, al-Fidaa, al-Sadr, Sumer and Eridou of gunmen," Rakabi told VOI.
"The forces entered Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's offices in Sumer and al-Sadr districts, central Nassiriya, and seized ammunition, rockets and improvised explosive devices," he said.
Nassiriya, the capital of Thi-Qar province, lies 390 km south of Baghdad.
 
AE

Al-Qaeda gunman killed, 4 wounded in Diala
 
Diala - Voices of Iraq
Sunday , 30 /03 /2008  Time 11:05:41  
Diala, Mar 30, (VOI) –

A gunman from al-Qaeda network was killed and four others wounded on Sunday in a security raid conducted jointly by the Iraqi police and army in a village of al-Muqdadiya district, 45 km northeast of Ba'aqouba, police said.

"A joint army-police force conducted a search raid on al-Qaeda hideouts in the village of al-Jizani, Muqdadiya district, killing one gunman and wounding four others," an official security source in Diala police told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI) on condition of anonymity out of security concerns.
The source did not give further details.
Ba'aqouba, the capital of Diala province, lies 57 km north of Baghdad.

AE

Senior police officer killed in Mosul clashes
 
Ninewa - Voices of Iraq
Sunday , 30 /03 /2008  Time 11:05:41  
Mosul, Mar 30, (VOI)-

A senior police officer along with an escort were killed on Sunday as police forces clashed with Qaeda-linked armed group in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, a police source said. 

“A police force launched detentions campaign, this morning, in al-Sahaji neighborhood, western Mosul, in hunt for gunmen belonging to Islamic State in Iraq armed group,” the source, who asked not to be named, told Aswat al-Iraq- Voices of Iraq- (VOI).

The source added “Colonel Ziad Qassem Sultan, commander of police 1st regiment was killed along with one of his escorts.”
Islamic State in Iraq is Qaeda-linked armed group that is active in Sunni areas particularly in Mosul city, 405 km north of Baghdad, and in large parts of Diala province, 57 km northeast of Baghdad.
SK
 
Four militiamen killed, 30 arrested in Babel
 
Babel - Voices of Iraq
Sunday , 30 /03 /2008  Time 11:05:41  
Babel, Mar 30, (VOI)-

Iraqi security forces killed four gunmen and arrested 30 others from the Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi army in Babel province, 100 km south of Baghdad, a police source said on Sunday. 

“Police forces supported by aircraft launched a large-scale attack in al-Hamza district last night, killing four gunmen and arresting 30,” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Aswat al-Iraq- Voices of Iraq- (VOI).

The source added “among the arrested were two key leaders of Mahdi army.”
Iraqi governmental forces have been engaged in fight with followers of the Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in southern Iraqi provinces and Baghdad since Monday.
SK