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US seals off northern Iraqi town

Sep- 9-2004 » Filed Under: 3/2 SBCT

This update indicates a cease-fire is in effect.

[Link to Full Article]
Agence France-Presse

TALL AFAR, Iraq -- The US army sealed off a northern Iraqi town where hours of air strikes and fierce fighting on the ground left at least 28 dead people dead and scores wounded Thursday, medics and an Agence France-Presse reporter said.

Negotiations between tribal leaders from the town of Tall Afar and officials in the nearby city of Mosul brought the fighting to a halt shortly after 3:00 pm (1100 GMT).

"We are still negotiating but we have reached a ceasefire deal which is effective as of this afternoon," said Ibrahim Arafat, deputy governor for Nineveh province and the government's pointman for mediation with insurgents.

According to Doctor Rabih Yassin, a senior health official in Mosul, 28 people were killed in the air strikes and more than 70 wounded.

Ambulances that had previously been barred from entering the town were finally allowed in to retrieve bodies strewn in the streets.

But the US army moved to seal off the rebel town as troops were patroling the area and telling residents through loudspeakers that "nobody will be allowed to enter Tall Afar for five days."


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