Roadside bombs kill 7 American troops in Iraq Saturday, seven al Qaeda operatives killed, 10 captured

Four US servicemen died in a single strike northwest of Baghdad, an airman in Tikrit and 2 soldiers in eastern Baghdad. A British soldier also died of his wounds in Basra. Two of the al Qaeda prisoners were senior operatives.
Early Saturday, US forces on raids in Baghdad’s Sadr City netted three insurgents with suspected ties to Iran.
Operation Arrowhead Ripper launched by 10,000 US and Iraqi troops in Diyala Province last week has left 55 al Qaeda fighters dead and 23 detained, although many are believed to have fled ahead of the operation. At least 16 weapons caches were discovered and 28 roadside bombs destroyed. In Baqouba, US soldiers discovered an al Qaeda field hospital stocked with oxygen tanks, heart defibrillators and other medical equipment.