Falluja operation aimed to hunt down al-Qaeda leader – U.S. army

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Security operation in Falluja aimed at hunting down a leader of al-Qaeda group, the media spokesperson of the U.S. army said, noting that gunmen opened fire on Iraqi and U.S. forces. “More than ten al-Qaeda gunmen opened fire on Iraqi security forces and their American advisors on Wednesday (Sept. 15) in Jubeil region, southwest of Falluja,” Major Robert Philips told IraqiNews.com news agency, noting that the forces responded, killing four gunmen and two civilians and injuring three gunmen. “The forces was searching for a leader of al-Qaeda in the region,” he explained. A police source had said earlier that seven civilians, including a woman and two children, were killed and four others, including a 85-year-old woman, were wounded during a raid by a U.S.-Iraqi forces coming from Baghdad late Tuesday (Sept. 14) in al-Jubeil region, southern Falluja. Falluja, Anbar province, is 45 km west of Baghdad, while Ramadi, the capital of Anbar, lies 110 km west of the Iraqi capital. SH (P) 1