US forces kill 17 Qaeda gunmen in Iraq

BAGHDAD: US helicopters armed with missiles killed 17 suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen in the province of Diyala on Friday where thousands of troops have launched a crackdown on the terror group, the military said.   

It said the assault took place when US helicopters observed 15 armed men trying to enter the town of Khalis by circumventing Iraqi police.   

"The attack helicopters, armed with missiles, engaged and killed 17 Al-Qaeda gunmen and destroyed the vehicle they were using," the military said.   

The attack took place southwest of Khalis.   

Some 10,000 US and Iraqi troops backed by helicopters and armoured vehicles have launched a massive assault on Al-Qaeda strongholds in Diyala, one of the most dangerous provinces in Iraq after Baghdad.