BAGHDAD: Iraqi security forces killed 11 suspected militants and arrested dozens in a large military-led operation north of Baghdad yesterday in response to a deadly attack on a checkpoint last month, military sources said.
The security sweep in Sulaman Pek, a town 160 km north of Baghdad, turned fatal when some militants opened fire on officers inspecting homes, the sources said, adding that a number of the militants had been wearing suicide vests.
Thousands of troops and several helicopters were deployed in what appeared to be one of the largest security operations this year.
Sunni Islamist militants have been regaining momentum in their insurgency against the Shia-led government since the start of the year and have been emboldened by the civil war in neighbouring Syria, which has inflamed sectarian tensions.
Security has been ramped up across the country after a mass jailbreak near Baghdad last month when more than 500 convicts, including senior Al Qaeda operatives, escaped after militants attacked two prisons.
REUTERS
