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US Military: Air Strikes in Western Iraq Kill Several Militants
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(http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=ECA836:3919ACA

Spokesperson says intelligence indicates an al-Qaida operative, Abu
Islam, several of his associates, were killed in strikes on Karabila
region near Syrian border    The U.S. military has carried out air
strikes in western Iraq against what it describes as three terrorist
safe houses.

A U.S statement says a known terrorist, Abu Islam, and several of his
associates were killed during the raids Tuesday in two towns, Husaybah
and Karabilah, near the Syrian border.

Earlier, Arabic television station Aljazeera reported at least 40
people were killed in the air strikes.

Elsewhere in Iraq, police said insurgents killed two top security
officials in separate attacks in Baghdad and the northern oil town of
Kirkuk.

On political front, Iraq's Vice President Sheikh Ghazi al-Yawar says
he believes Sunni Arabs will not be able to defeat the country's draft
constitution in a national referendum set for October 15.

He says the minority community should instead focus on December's
parliamentary elections and try to win enough seats to be able to
change the way the constitution is implemented.

Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.


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