U.S. and Iraqi forces had launched a new offensive against al-Qaida militants and other insurgents in Iraq on Tuesday, the U.S. military said.
The offensive, dubbed "Phantom Phoenix," is a series of operations aimed at pursuing and neutralizing al-Qaida and other extremist insurgents, a military statement quoted Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, the number two commander of the U.S. forces in Iraq, as saying.
"Phantom Phoenix will synchronize lethal and non-lethal effects to exploit recent security gains and disrupt terrorist support zones and enemy command and control," Odierno said without identifying the location of the operation.
He said that his troops were determined not to allow the insurgent groups to "have respite anywhere in Iraq."
The statement illustrated that the non-lethal aspects of this operation were to improve "delivery of essential services, economic development and local governance capacity."
Source:Xinhua
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