US helicopters fire missiles to end Iraqi police station siege

BAGHDAD, Feb 10 (AFP) - US helicopters fired missiles Thursday to dislodge insurgents from a police station south of the Iraqi capital who killed six policemen in a siege, the US military said.
The rebels had encircled the police station at Salman Pak, in the so-called Triangle of Death, and opened fire with anti-tank rockets and light arms, police said.
Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel James Hutton said six police were killed and eight wounded in the battle. He said an unknown number of insurgents were also killed.
An official at Kindi hospital in Baghdad said earlier that 42 police were wounded in the clashes and two had died in hospital.
"The insurgents did assume control of the police station temporarily," Hutton told AFP.
"We attacked them with helicopters, which fired missiles, and the insurgents fled. The operation to pursue them is still going on."

02/10/2005 16:42 GMT - AFP