More towns in the Euphrate Valley swept
BAGHDAD, October 4 – The U.S. offensive in Iraq to eradicate easy ways in for foreign fighters continues as a new mission has commenced early in the morning. Operation River Gate is targeting three small towns in the Euphrates Valley, Haditha, Haqlaniya and Barwana. These towns have all been under the control of Al-Zarqawi since there is no direct law enforcement in the towns itself. This provides the insurgents with easy gates into Syria where new fighters come from as well as funds.
About 2,500 U.S. troops are engaged in this operation as well as hundreds of Iraqi troops. U.S. planes have knocked out most of the power supplies in the towns, Haqlaniya was covered in darkness before dawn broke. No casualties have been reported yet but the operation has only just started so there is no conclusive reporting as of yet.
This is the second operation in a few days, Operation Iron Fist started last weekend targeting the village of Sadah. The operation has been expanded to two nearby towns in the meanwhile, Rumana and Karabila. So far 33 insurgents have been killed in this operation, both operations fall under a larger plan called Operation Hunter, to stabilize this region for the coming referendum on October 15th.
Haditha has cost many U.S. lives in the past two months. On August 1st a team of six U.S. marine snipers were killed by insurgents and two days later on the 3rd a roadside bomb killed 14 U.S. marines and an Iraqi interpreter.
