U.S., Iraqi Troops Repel Insurgent Attacks

U.S. and Iraqi troops repelled a series of coordinated attacks including suicide car bombs, killing six insurgents and capturing 12, in southern Baghdad, the military said Saturday.

The fighting erupted about 8 p.m. Friday when guerrillas opened fire on an Iraqi army position, the American military said. U.S. attack helicopters responded with rockets and gunfire.

At nearly the same time, a suicide attacker drove a truck loaded with explosives into a nearby Iraqi army checkpoint, killing an Iraqi soldier. A second suicide driver tried to attack another Iraq position in the area, but a U.S. tank opened fire and the car detonated prematurely.

Minutes later, insurgents at a fourth location fired two rocket-propelled grenades and a mortar round at another Iraqi army post in southern Baghdad. None of the rounds caused any damage, the U.S. statement said.

Over the next two hours, insurgents tried to launch further attacks on the two Iraqi army posts but were driven off by U.S. and Iraqi fire, the statement added.

U.S. troops suffered no casualties, but six insurgents were killed and 12 were captured in the fighting, according to the military.

In recent weeks, U.S. officials have said the insurgents had started using so-called "swarm" tactics � coordinating multiple attacks and firing from several locations � against coalition forces.