CNN reports U.S. forces launched Operation Iron Fist in Anbar province early Saturday:
The Marine-led operation is taking place in the town of Sa'da, about 12 miles from the Syrian border, and involves about 1,000 Marines, soldiers and sailors from the Regimental Combat Team-2.
[. . .]
"Operation (Iron Fist) began in the early morning hours with the objectives of rooting out Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) terrorists operating within the area and disrupting insurgent support systems in and around the city," the U.S. military said.
CNN producer Arwa Damon, embedded with U.S. forces, said the Marine squadron she was traveling with encountered little resistance and only sporadic gunfire -- small arms and rocket-propelled grenades -- as they made their way into town. According to Damon, Marines were searching house to house for insurgents.
[. . .]
In other sections of the city, Cobra attack helicopters fired on three suspicious vehicles, CNN's Jennifer Eccleston reported -- two turned out to be car bombs and the third was hit as men were loading weapons into it, the military said.
Iron Fist is at least the third offensive U.S. forces have conducted in the area over the past four months.
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