U.S. and Iraqi forces began an offensive operation Saturday in the capital of a northern province where fierce fighting has taken place with insurgents, the U.S. command said. At least 36 suspected insurgents were detained during one raid at a major intersection at 4 a.m. in Baqouba, 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad, police said. But attacks by suspected insurgents continued outside the capital of Diyala province, the Associated Press reported. Drive-by shootings in two nearby towns killed two civilians and wounded five, the police said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of concern for their own security.
