US forces kill 16 suspected al-Qaida insurgents

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
US forces and helicopters killed 16 suspected al-Qaida insurgents in four weekend raids, including one man who allegedly led a militant attack that last month downed a US attack helicopter and killed its two crew, the military said Monday. Four Iraqi civilians and two suspected militants were wounded during the raids that took place on Saturday and Sunday around Latifiyah, 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Baghdad, the military said. The wounded civilians included two women, one of whom was pregnant, and two children. All were treated or were reportedly evacuated to a US military hospital, said the statement.