BAGHDAD, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Iraq said Saturday its forces killed 141 insurgents and arrested 197 others in the past three days in operations in Tellafar.
Iraqi Defense Minister Saadoun al-Duleimi told reporters in Baghdad that five soldiers were killed and three others were injured during the operations in which 700 troops took part in a campaign against the insurgents in the city.
Speaking at the same news conference, Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said the U.S. forces were providing support to the Iraqi forces in Tellafar, near the border with Syria.
He said he issued orders to the Iraqi forces to "respond to the appeal of the residents of the city ... to clear out the terrorists from the area."
Jaafari accused the insurgents of trying to isolate Tellafar from the political process in Iraq by intimidating its 300,000 residents from participating in the national referendum on the new draft constitution next month and the general elections at the end of the year.
He said his government has taken the necessary measures to prevent "a humanitarian disaster" in the city, which is predominantly Sunni Turkmen with a Kurdish and Shiite minority.
