Iraqi soldiers killed a top al-Qaida emir in Iraq leader along with two militants from Saudi Arabia and Libya in a gunbattle in western Mosul, the US military said Sunday.
Residents contacted Iraqi police to report activity by suspected al-Qaida operatives in the area, and US and Iraqi forces launched the raid around noon Saturday, said. Lt. Col. Eric Welsh, commander of the US Army's 2nd battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. The suspected militants had pulled their cars up alongside one another and were meeting at an intersection on the city's west side, Welsh said. When about 100 Iraqi soldiers arrived, the suspects fled into a neighboring residential area, he said. |