U.S. Marine air strikes in western Iraq killed about 40 insurgents Saturday, the Marines said. The strikes come as insurgents kept up their lethal attacks of the past two days, killing 19 Iraqis, including 13 civilians and six security officers on Saturday alone, according to a report of CNN. The Marines described the "seven precision-guided air strikes," saying they lasted from shortly before noon to 4 p.m., with "all targets demolished." The Marines said large groups of insurgents were "armed with AK-47 assault rifles, medium machine guns and RPGs" on the outskirts of Karabila in Anbar province. They had been stopping vehicles at gunpoint and threatening Iraqi civilians attempting to travel through their checkpoint, Marines said. The Marines' attack against the insurgent compound and surrounding area involved jets and attack-helicopters from the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, the Marines said. They were assigned to Regimental Combat Team-2. The statement said no Marines were killed, and there were no reports of civilian casualties. The strikes are part of a stepped-up campaign against insurgents by U.S. and Iraqi forces in Baghdad and other parts of the country.
