BAGHDAD, November 5 – The U.S. military and Iraqi forces have resumed operations to secure the Syrian border into Iraq to prevent Al-Qaeda from smuggling funds, resources and insurgents through the region.
Operation Steel Curtain is designed to establish a safe perimeter in the Euphrates River valley to disable Al-Qaeda’s possibility to smuggle new fighters and resources through the border. In the town of Husaybah four explosions in the early morning announced the beginning of the operation. Warplanes or helicopters are likely to be responsible for these big explosions. Right after that 2,500 U.S. army forces and 1,000 Iraqi army forces swept the town destroying insurgent strongholds and securing the area.
This small Sunni town near the border of Iraq is the home of approximately 30,000 citizens but many already left the town during the last operation by the joint forces. Al-Qaeda is extremely effective at intimidating citizens into refusing cooperation with the U.S. military and thus continuing their every-day operations.
The U.S. military also released a statement in which they indicate that two U.S. soldiers died by roadside bombs on Friday in other parts of the country. Roadside bombs are currently the main cause for U.S. deaths in Iraq.
