Iraqi coalition raided al-Sadr's headquarters Wednesday in al-Musayyeb when an exchange of gunfire erupted, said witnesses quoted by dpa. Elsewhere in Iraq, clashes broke out between gunmen and Iraqi police forces Wednesday in the suburbs of Mosul, 450 kilometres north of Baghdad, resulting in an initial toll of six gunmen dead and five others wounded, said security sources. Sources told dpa that armed clashes erupted Wednesday morning between gunmen and Iraqi police in Mosul's districts of Tel al- Rumman, Souq al-Ghanam and a number of other spots in the city. The sources added that the clashes involved light arms fire and left six gunmen and five others wounded. Another seven gunmen were arrested. The clashes left five cars ablaze, and weapons caches were confiscated, reported the sources. Meanwhile, gunmen from the Bani Assad clan stormed and briefly took over the Basra Governorate Council building Wednesday, in response to the assassination of clan leader Faisal al-Khaiyoun, said security sources. The sources told dpa that two Iraqi police officers were killed and another two wounded as security forces forced the gunmen out of the building, while six Bani Assad clansmen were arrested. Iraqi security forces managed to regain control over the building following the clashes. --More
