U.S. and Iraqi security forces launched attacks Thursday to flush out insurgents in northern Iraq, killing 12 people, the military and Iraqi officials said. The operations are intended to restore interim government control in Tal Afar, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) west of Mosul, the military said. The military said the attacks were launched after negotiations between Nineveh Gov. Duraid Kashmoula and local leaders failed to bring stability to the region. At least 12 people were killed, said Col. Adnan Abdel-Rahman, a spokesman for the Iraqi Interior Ministry.
