U.S. forces killed nine suspected insurgents in Iraq during a raid in a rural area south of Baghdad on Thursday, and more than 1,000 Iraqi soldiers launched a military operation in northern Iraq with American air and artillery support. But deadly attacks continued in the capital, with suspected insurgents and militias using guns, bombs and mortar shells to kill 15 Iraqis. Four U.S. Army soldiers also died during combat missions earlier in the week, the Associated Press reported.
