US troops launch new assault on Iraq militants by Jay Deshmukh

The US military on Monday launched a major new assault across Iraq to crack down on militants linked to Al-Qaeda affiliates in the war-torn country and alleged Iranian-aided extremist groups. Operation Phantom Strike aims to "disrupt AQI (Al-Qaeda in Iraq) and Shia extremist operations in Iraq," the military announced. "It consists of simultaneous operations throughout Iraq focused on pursuing remaining AQI terrorists and Iranian-supported extremist elements." The US military has launched a series of major operations across the country in recent months with the aim of flushing out Al-Qaeda affiliates and rogue Shiite militias, whom Washington accuses arch-foe Iran of supporting. The military has claimed successes for such recent operations, namely the flagship Fardh al-Qanoon (Imposing Law) offensive in Baghdad, although fighters appear to have shifted increasingly from cities to rural areas. And a roadside bomb killed five Iraqi border guards and wounded three others in an attack not far from the Iranian border late on Sunday, an Iraqi military commander said.The bombing, followed by a salvo of rocket fire, occurred near Nafit Khana in the province of Diyala, one of the most dangerous parts of Iraq where thousands of Iraqi and US troops have been engaged in a major operation against insurgents. The latest operation, conducted with Iraqi forces, aims to "eliminate remaining elements of AQI and other extremist groups, preventing them from causing further terrorism and inciting sectarian violence," the military
said. "Coalition forces and Iraqi security forces continue to achieve successes and pursue security throughout many areas of Iraq", said Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, the number two commander of US forces in Iraq. "My intent is to continue to pressure AQI and other extremist elements throughout Iraq to reduce their capabilities." The military provided no further details of the latest assault. Earlier, it announced the arrest on Monday of a top "financier" of extremist groups allegedly linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard unit, the elite Quds Force. "Coalition forces captured a key financier of special groups terrorists during a pre-dawn raid Monday in western Baghdad," it said, without revealing the suspect's identity.The US military claims that such "special groups" of Iraqi extremists are trained, armed and funded by the Quds Force and it accuses them of directing attacks against US-led troops and inciting sectarian violence in Iraq. The military also announced that up to five militants were killed and 13 others detained during a raid on Baghdad's Shiite slum of Sadr City on Sunday. The military accused the detainees of being linked to the Quds Force. US authorities have regularly accused the Quds Force of arming, funding and training Iraqi extremist groups to carry out attacks on its troops in the war-ravaged country.