Posted on 06/14/2003 4:06:20 PM PDT by Ranger
U.S. forces in Iraq have arrested the fugitive air force commander for Saddam Hussein's ousted regime.
Hamid Raja Shalah al-Tikriti has been on the run since the Saddam government was toppled in mid-April. The U.S. Central Command announced the arrest Saturday, but did not say where or when he was captured, or if he surrendered voluntarily.
General Shalah was number 17 on the most wanted list of former Iraqi leaders that is topped by Saddam Hussein, followed by his two sons, whose whereabouts remain unknown. So far, 31 people on the most-wanted list have been detained.
Meanwhile, U.S. forces continue to sweep through central Iraq to crack down on elements loyal to the ousted regime who have ambushed U.S. troops several times in recent days.
U.S. military officials say American troops killed nearly 100 enemy fighters this week in Iraq. They say at least 70 were killed during a U.S. assault on a camp northwest of Baghdad.
In a separate clash Thursday, Iraqi witnesses say five civilians were among those killed by U.S. forces responding to the ambush of a U.S. tank patrol near Balad. Central Command Saturday said it has no information on any civilian deaths.
Questions have also emerged about the overall casualty figures in the Balad clash. Central Command says 27 Iraqi fighters were killed after the ambush. But The New York Times and Associated Press, reporting from the area, quote U.S. military officers as saying only seven Iraqis were killed. Central Command spokesman declined to comment on the discrepancy.
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