Resident Prisoners of Baghdad Locked In Between 'Insurgents' and Govt.

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BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Iraqi government declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew Friday after insurgents set up roadblocks in central Baghdad and opened fire on U.S. and Iraqi troops just north of the heavily fortified Green Zone.

U.S. and Iraqi forces also clashed with insurgents in southern Baghdad.

The prime minister ordered everyone off the streets of the capital from 2 p.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Saturday. The order came at around noon, when many residents were in prayer, and sent many rushing home to beat the curfew.

http://www.statesboroherald.net/showstory.php?$recordID=6780


June 23, 2006

Baghdad shut down after 'free-for-all' gun battle

The cause of the emergency curfew was an extended gun battle between a joint US-Iraqi patrol and a set of impromptu insurgent roadblocks just north of the fortified Green Zone, which contains the American and British embassies in Baghdad and most government buildings.

Although the circumstances of the battle are unclear, Ned Parker, correspondent for The Times in Baghdad, said early reports indicated that after an initial clash between US forces and Sunni insurgents, members of the al-Mahdi army, the notorious Shia militia, arrived and opened fire: "It seems like it was a free-for-all," he said.

Rocket propelled grenades and automatic gunfire brought havoc to Haifa Street, one of the main thoroughfares in Baghdad. The battle ended when a US airstrike was called in. Coalition troops later went from house to house, searching for insurgents. Two Iraqi policemen were reported injured.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7374-2240354,00.html