BAGHDAD - Ninety insurgents have been killed in a series of US-led sweeps in western Iraq since they kicked off on September 28, government spokesman Leith Kubba said on Sunday. âThe total from the operations is 90 killed while the number of arrests has reached 178,â Kubba told journalists, adding that the offensives had âperturbed armed groupsâ activity and (helped) obtain information that will help us track down their membersâ.The US military said the operations, including Iron Fist which ended near the Syrian border on Thursday, were aimed at thwarting Al Qaeda-linked militant activity in the restive and largely Sunni Arab province of Al Anbar.
Thirteen US troops have been reported killed in the province since the start of the operations.
Kubba said that US and Iraqi forces would stay in the area for the October 15 referendum on the countryâs new constitution and that 700 independent electoral commission workers would also be deployed in the province.