Iraq: US troops kill 4 suspects, destroy 2 alleged terrorist safehouses near Mosul

The U.S. military says it has killed four suspects, captured five others and destroyed two safehouses belonging to militants in northern Iraq.

A statement from the military says American soldiers called in airstrikes and killed the four men Saturday after coming under small-arms fire southwest of Mosul. They also destroyed two buildings filled with weapons, ammunition and graffiti indicating they were used for foreign militants.

It also says five men were captured in a separate raid in Mosul. Two of them are accused of conspiring with senior al-Qaida in Iraq leaders in the city.

Mosul is believed to be one of the last urban strongholds of the terror group, and U.S. and Iraqi forces have fought fierce battles against militants there in recent months.