US troops raid homes in Iraq's 'Sunni triangle'
Reuters, Baghdad
US troops hunting guerrillas and criminals raided homes overnight in Iraq's restive "Sunni triangle," the Army said yesterday, as tension simmered among ethnic groups in the north and Shiite factions in the south.The US 4th Infantry Division said hundreds of soldiers had raided homes around Khalis, north of Baghdad, on Monday night, looking for a gang accused of crimes in the area. Officers said several people had been detained. US forces have mounted scores of raids in Iraq's Sunni Muslim heartland around Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, looking for the fugitive ex-dictator, his lieutenants and guerrillas who have killed 64 US soldiers since May 1. Last week, US officers announced the capture of two of Saddam's top aides -- "Chemical Ali" Hassan al-Majid and former Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan. But Saddam himself remains on the run, despite a $25 million price on his head. Senior US officers based in one of Saddam's former palaces in Tikrit say they believe the deposed president is in disguise and moving every few hours to evade capture. The persistent guerrilla ambushes, and last week's devastating truck bomb attack on the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad that killed at least 23, have led to calls for a wider UN role and more troops on the ground. But Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Monday that troop levels were adequate, though he would not hesitate to recommend boosting forces if it became necessary.
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