Iraqi forces and US troops launched on Sunday a joint operation aimed at destroying insurgent bases in a town near the Jordanian border, the military
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, THE JERUSALEM POST
Iraqi forces and US troops launched on Sunday a joint operation aimed at destroying insurgent bases in a town near the Jordanian border, the military said.
The operation kicked off in the early hours of the morning in and around Rutba, a town 370 kilometers (230 miles) west of Baghdad, a statement said.
"Operation Cyclone (was launched) with the objectives of rooting out Al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorists operating within the area and disrupting terrorist support systems in and around the city," it said.
Recently, insurgents were reported to have sharply escalated their activities in the region - which is part of the troubled Anbar province.
Over the past two years, gunmen operating from Rutba have repeatedly attacked military and civilian traffic driving along the nearby highway from Jordan