U.S., Iraqi Forces Fight Off Coordinated Attacks

6 August 2005 -- The U.S. military says six suspected militants and an Iraqi soldier were killed when U.S. and Iraqi forces fought off a series of coordinated insurgent attacks in south Baghdad.

The fighting began yesterday afternoon with a mortar and small-arms attack on an Iraqi Army post.

Almost simultaneously there was a suicide car bombing at a nearby Iraqi Army checkpoint that killed one Iraqi soldier.

Another suicide car bomb tried to attack a third site in the area but a U.S. tank fired and hit the car, killing the driver and causing the car bomb to explode prematurely.

Over the next two hours, insurgents attempted two more attacks on Iraqi Army posts but U.S. and Iraqi forces defeated the attacks.

Twelve suspects were captured in the fighting.

(AFP/AP)

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