US and Iraqi forces Thursday launched a massive airborne operation north of Baghdad, involving over 50 aircraft and more than 1,500 troops, the military said.
The mission, described as the largest air assault operation since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, aimed to clear a suspected insurgent operating area northeast of Samarra, over 125 km north of Baghdad.
US forces recently said a number of Al Qaeda insurgents were ensconced in the hilly area, known as Hamreen.
"Initial reports from the objective area indicate that a number of enemy weapons caches have been captured, containing artillery shells, explosives, improvised explosives device-making materials, and military uniforms," the military said.
"The operation is expected to continue for several days as a thorough search of the objective area is conducted," the military added.
With inter-communal tensions still rife in Iraq, the country's first full-term Parliament since the ouster of Saddam Hussein in April 2003 was inaugurated Thursday three months after a landmark general election.
But continuing deadlock on forming a government and choosing a speaker forced the chamber to adjourn after only a brief session.
