Baghdad, Iraq – Emboldened a day after a successful jailbreak, insurgents laid siege to another prison Wednesday.
This time, U.S. troops and a special Iraqi unit thwarted the predawn attack south of Baghdad, overwhelming the gunmen and capturing 50 of them, police said.
Although the raid failed, the insurgents’ ability to put together such large and well-armed bands of fighters underlined concerns about the ability of Iraqi police and military to take over the fight from U.S. troops. Sixty militants participated in the assault, which attempted to free more jailed Sunni insurgents, police said.
The attack on the prison in Madain, 15 miles southeast of Baghdad, began with insurgents firing 10 mortar rounds. They then stormed the facility, which is run by the Interior Ministry, a predominantly Shiite organization and heavily infiltrated by members of various Shiite militias.
Four policemen – including the commander of the special unit – died in a two-hour gun battle, which was subdued only after American forces arrived.
