U.S. troops and Iraqi security forces entered the central city of Samarra for the first time in months Thursday in order to reseat the city council and regain control, the military said in a statement. The troops that entered also aim to conduct an assessment of the police stations, the statement said. U.S. Humvees and armored vehicles were seen going into the city. Two U.S. helicopters hovered overhead. In a city council meeting Thursday, the interim mayor and acting police chief of Samarra were put into place until the general elections expected by January. Local leaders in the Salahuddin province, of which Samarra is the provincial capital, and the U.S. 1st Infantry Division have taken necessary steps to restore normalcy to the city, the statement said.
