REUTERS   India

U.S. troops set trap for militants near BaghdadThu Jun 21, 2007 9:29 PM IST

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BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Thursday it was setting a trap to "eliminate" militants near Baghdad where 12 U.S. soldiers have died in the past two days.

Tens of thousands of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers are pushing on with simultaneous operations in Baghdad and to the north, south and west of the capital under Operation Phantom Thunder, a new plan aimed at rooting out al Qaeda fighters and other militants.

The latest offensives, which began in the past week, follow the build-up of U.S. military forces in Iraq to 156,000 soldiers and aim to deny militants sanctuary in the farmlands and towns surrounding Baghdad