CNN - U.S. military: Troops kill shaved would-be suicide bombers

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U.S. military: Troops kill shaved would-be suicide bombers

U.S. troops raided a suspected suicide bomber cell Sunday, killing a dozen militants, half of whom had shaved their bodies -- which the U.S. military says indicates they were in the final stage of preparation for a suicide attack.

Troops came under fire while approaching a building in the volatile Diyala province, military spokesman Maj. Winfield Danielson said in an e-mail.

The troops returned fire, killing five men, before demanding that the remaining occupants exit the building. Some complied; others remained in the building, Danielson said.

The militants inside opened fire when U.S. troops stormed the building. Seven more militants were killed in the gunfight, Danielson said.

"Six of the terrorists killed had shaved their bodies, which is consistent with final preparation for suicide operations," he said.

Inside, troops found assault weapons, ammunition, grenades and vests like the ones suicide bombers use to conceal explosives.

Diyala province stretches north and east of Baghdad and has been a major front for U.S. troops fighting militants.

Also Sunday, several mortars landed in Baghdad's International Zone, according to the Interior Ministry. A U.S. Embassy spokeswoman said there were no major casualties. Watch the aftermath of the mortar attack

The U.S. and British embassies and Iraqi government offices are in the zone, known as the Green Zone.

Although the embassy could not confirm what kind of weapon was used, the Interior Ministry said eight mortars were fired into the Green Zone.

It is not unusual for insurgents to target the Green Zone. The U.S. government is reluctant to give details of damage from the attacks because the information might help the insurgents improve their accuracy.

Other developments:

? A suicide car bomb exploded at a fuel station Sunday in a predominantly Shiite neighborhood in northwest Baghdad, killing seven people and wounding 12 others, the Interior Ministry said.

? A suicide bomber detonated a truck full of explosives outside the main gate of an Iraqi military base in Mosul, killing at least 10 Iraqi soldiers and wounding 35 people, including 20 soldiers, Mosul police said.

? A mortar round landed in a Shiite neighborhood in eastern Baghdad, killing seven people and injuring nine others, a ministry official said.

? In southeastern Baghdad, gunmen riding in at least two cars opened fire on a crowded outdoor market, killing at least three people and wounding 17 others, the Interior Ministry said.

? A suicide bomber detonated a small truck rigged with explosives outside a local Awakening Council leader's house just east of Samarra on Saturday, killing at least five people and wounding 13 others, a Samarra police official said. Awakening Councils are largely Sunni security groups that have been recruited by the U.S. military.