U.S. and Iraqi forces killed nine suspected insurgents and detained eight others in a raid targeting al-Qaida in northern Iraq, the U.S. military said Thursday. Three Iraqi troops were killed in the operation.
The Tal Afar Special Weapons and Tactics team, made up of U.S. forces and Iraqi SWAT teams, on Sunday targeted a cell responsible for assassinations and bombing attacks in the Tal Afar area in Iraq's Ninevah province, the military said in a statement.
During the raid, several fighters opened a barrage of gunfire at the Iraqi and U.S. troops, killing the three Iraqi soldiers and wounding three others.
In the ensuing gunfight, the U.S.-Iraqi team killed nine suspected insurgents. Three Iraqi civilians were wounded and treated at the scene and eight suspected cell members were detained for questioning, including two who were wounded and evacuated to a military hospital for treatment, the military said.
During the operation, the team found bomb-making materials, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, rifles, grenades, a landmine and ammunition, according to the statement.
The Americans and their Iraqi allies are pushing to take control of the Ninevah region, where insurgent fighters are making a stand after their influence diminished in Baghdad and other areas last year. Tal Afar is located about 420 kilometers (260 miles) northwest of Baghdad.
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