Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
BAGHDAD, Jan 12, 2006 (AFP) - US soldiers battled with a group of insurgents south west of Baghdad on Wednesday, killing six and wounding a seventh who was later detained, the military said.
"While conducting an air-insertion mission, Task Force Ironhorse soldiers killed several insurgents, detained one and discovered a significant weapons cache today," it said in a statement released from Baghdad late on Wednesday.
The statement did not specify where the fight took place and a military spokeswoman on Thursday would only say it occurred "south west of Baghdad".
Insurgents started firing at the soldiers at about 10:45am (0745 GMT), prompting them to return fire.
Two rebels killed in the clash had been wearing suicide vests, strapped with explosives, according to the military.
The hoard of weapons also uncovered -- which was destroyed by an explosives ordnance team -- included material to make roadside bombs, mortar rounds and 400 pounds (180 kilograms) of homemade explosives.
Separately, the US-led military said its forces found seven corpses Wednesday at the Rustimiyah sewage plant, which handles waste from Baghdad.
"All of the bodies showed evidence of torture. The bodies were taken to the local Iraqi police station," it said, adding that the incident was under investigation.
Finally, in the restive central Iraqi province of Al-Anbar, a group of Iraqi soldiers and US marines found what they described as their biggest stash yet of mortars, artillery rounds, rockets and other explosives during a three-day sweep that ended on Wednesday.
"This was our biggest find to date," 1st Lieutenant Antonio Agnone said in a statement.
Some of the weapons and explosives had been painstakingly hidden, with even the local cemetery being used as a storing place, the military said.
Agnone said the troops were careful not to disturb any of the civilian graves while unearthing the cache.
The overall hoard, found near the town of Hit, included nearly 500 rockets and artillery and mortar rounds, along with approximately 100 tank rounds, rocket propellant, fuses, and blasting caps -- the material used to make roadside bombs.
A number of rifles and ammunition was also discovered. All the weapons and explosives were destroyed.
"While conducting an air-insertion mission, Task Force Ironhorse soldiers killed several insurgents, detained one and discovered a significant weapons cache today," it said in a statement released from Baghdad late on Wednesday.
The statement did not specify where the fight took place and a military spokeswoman on Thursday would only say it occurred "south west of Baghdad".
Insurgents started firing at the soldiers at about 10:45am (0745 GMT), prompting them to return fire.
Two rebels killed in the clash had been wearing suicide vests, strapped with explosives, according to the military.
The hoard of weapons also uncovered -- which was destroyed by an explosives ordnance team -- included material to make roadside bombs, mortar rounds and 400 pounds (180 kilograms) of homemade explosives.
Separately, the US-led military said its forces found seven corpses Wednesday at the Rustimiyah sewage plant, which handles waste from Baghdad.
"All of the bodies showed evidence of torture. The bodies were taken to the local Iraqi police station," it said, adding that the incident was under investigation.
Finally, in the restive central Iraqi province of Al-Anbar, a group of Iraqi soldiers and US marines found what they described as their biggest stash yet of mortars, artillery rounds, rockets and other explosives during a three-day sweep that ended on Wednesday.
"This was our biggest find to date," 1st Lieutenant Antonio Agnone said in a statement.
Some of the weapons and explosives had been painstakingly hidden, with even the local cemetery being used as a storing place, the military said.
Agnone said the troops were careful not to disturb any of the civilian graves while unearthing the cache.
The overall hoard, found near the town of Hit, included nearly 500 rockets and artillery and mortar rounds, along with approximately 100 tank rounds, rocket propellant, fuses, and blasting caps -- the material used to make roadside bombs.
A number of rifles and ammunition was also discovered. All the weapons and explosives were destroyed.