Militia Forces Iraqi Company's Retreat

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Militia Forces Iraqi Company's Retreat
April 18, 2008
Associated Press

BAGHDAD - A company of government troops abandoned its positions in Sadr City when the forces came under attack from Shiite militiamen who took advantage of a sandstorm to attack, police said April 18.

The clashes overnight killed two people and injured nine, a police commander said. The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to release the information, said it was unclear whether there were any casualties among the soldiers.

The reports of the latest setback for the Iraqi army come after government officials acknowledged that during fighting last month against Shiite militias in the southern city of Basra, more than 1,300 Iraqi soldiers and police deserted or refused to fight.

The police officer said militiamen belonging to the Mahdi Army of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr launched their attack shortly before midnight on army positions in Sadr City, a sprawling slum area of some 2.5 million people in eastern Baghdad.

The company responsible for that section abandoned their positions, including their command post in al-Nasir police station, he said.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/militia-forces-iraqi-companys-retreat.html