DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. troops are carrying out raids an attacks against insurgents today, again, after a deadly weekend in Iraq. Our senior international correspondent Walter Rogers is on the story from Baghdad. Walter, hello.</s>WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. The objective of this U.S. military exercise in the Tikrit area. That's Saddam Hussein's hometown is to disrupt the Iraqi paramilitaries and the Saddam loyalist, disrupt their ability to launch further attacks against U.S. forces. The U.S. troops involved in this are from the 4th Infantry Division. All last night, they were firing heavy barrages of artillery and mortars at suspected hideouts of the Saddam loyalist, also at positions from which the Iraqis had been firing mortars at the United States forces. Tanks of course were involved, M-1, A-1 Abrams tanks firing as well. They generate enormous firepower, and they're more mobile than most of your artillery. Many of the targets were buildings that the Iraqis had used before. Some of those buildings are said to have been -- belong to some of the Iraqi insurgents who shot down U.S. helicopters, U.S. Army helicopter November 7th, killing six Americans. That's why these houses were indeed destroyed. But the inhabitants were given more than a little warning that they should get out of the houses. Everyone in the area was told these houses were about to be destroyed, because the U.S. believed they belong to insurgents and, thus, they were to be punished. Back to you, Daryn.</s>KAGAN: Walter, a lot of questions. Thank you for that.
U.S. Troops Carrying Out Raids