U.S. Forces Storm Iraqi City

(Samarra, Iraq) Earlier today, about 100 terrorists were killed in air strikes and street-to-street combat during a major new Coalition and Iraqi forces offensive in the town of Samarra.

Iraq's Interior Ministry said that by midday (5 a.m. EDT) Iraqi police were in control of the center of Samarra and most surrounding areas following a joint U.S. and Iraqi operation to "remove the terrorists who have been holding the town hostage."

Before dawn, troops backed by tanks pushed through the streets as guerrillas unleashed mortar attacks and fired rocket-propelled grenades and rifles from the rooftops.

Sporadic fighting was still being heard in the early afternoon and electricity and water were cut off in the town of more than 100,000 people, 62 miles north of Baghdad.

The U.S. military says it will retake guerrilla strongholds such as Samarra, the western cities of Falluja and Ramadi and the Baghdad districts of Sadr City and Haifa Street by the end of the year so elections can go ahead in January as planned.

The offensive enabled the rescue of Turkish hostage Yahlin Kaya who was kidnapped while working for the 77 Construction Company.

See also: Backcountry Conservative, In The Bullpen