Seven Iraqi soldiers killed in checkpoint battle
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-07-11 14:16

Insurgents stormed an Iraqi army checkpoint north of Baghdad as dawn broke on Monday, killing seven soldiers, police sources said.

Two soldiers and three civilians were wounded in the half-hour gunbattle at Khalis, near Baquba, 65 km (40 miles) northeast of the capital.

Another soldier was wounded when a parked pickup truck carrying watermelons exploded as reinforcements arrived to drive off the guerrillas.

Police had no indication of casualties among the attackers.

A month ago, a suicide bomber in army uniform killed more than 20 soldiers at an army mess hall in Khalis.

The Iraqi government's new security forces have become prime targets for insurgents drawn mainly from the once-dominant Sunni Arab minority. About 20 army volunteers were killed by another suicide bomber at a recruiting center in Baghdad on Sunday.

Infantry attacks like that on the checkpoint are less common but have been seen in varying sizes, demonstrating the insurgents' abilities to marshal troops in disciplined military units. On a number of occasions they have overrun police posts.

While no match for the American firepower that dominates Iraq, such tactics by hardened guerrilla fighters could pose a serious threat to Iraqi government forces.