Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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US, Iraqi Forces Seek to Stop Sectarian Fighting
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?r=279&c=659313&l=1009&ctl=1470F6D:A6F02AD83191E1608FDB61D3AACA91599574F7DCC14957C0 Officials say at
least 74 Sunni Arabs have been killed in retaliation for slaying of 19
Shi'ite Muslim workers on Friday





People stand by pool of blood on spot where at least 17 people died in
car bombing previous night, in Baghdad, Oct. 17, 2006

U.S. military officials say they are helping Iraqi forces patrol the
northern town of Balad to stop a wave of sectarian attacks.

Iraqi officials say at least 74 Sunni Arabs have been killed in
retaliation for the slaying of 19 Shi'ite Muslim workers on Friday.

U.S. military officials said American troops had detained two Iraqi
policemen allegedly linked to the killing of the Shi'ite workers.

Local officials said militiamen linked to radical Shi'ite cleric
Moqtada al-Sadr were involved in the attacks.

They say many Sunni families have fled to the nearby city of Duluiyah
to escape the violence.

Meanwhile, gunmen killed four students and a female doctor in the
southern city of Basra.

A Kurdish politician was shot dead in the northern city of Mosul.

And a mortar landed in a Baghdad square, killing at least two people
and injuring three others.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

 


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