Battling in the Bread Basket

By Wednesday morning the battle was fully joined, with U.S. forces raining mortar shells and rockets on Hembis and the bread basket. The Americans discovered a handful of IEDS, one of which injured three soldiers but killed no one. Elsewhere, though, the death toll is rising: according to the U.S. military, three U.S. soldiers were killed in Salahuddin Tuesday, and Iraqi military reports say that about 20 to 30 militants have been killed. Here in Diyala, Al Qaeda has been firing rocket-propelled grenades as the advancing military pushes its assault on the bread basket. The Army's 3rd squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment takes over the push to force Al Qaeda out of the Diyala River Valley, in a stage that may last several more days. "There's no break from here on in," says Brantley.

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