Special report: Tension escalates in Iraq

    MOSUL, Iraq, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Gunmen attacked an Iraqi armycheckpoint near the northern city of Mosul on Thursday, killingten soldiers and wounded one, local police source told Xinhua.

    Over 40 gunmen stormed a checkpoint manned by 11 Iraqi armysoldiers on main road between Badosh and Kesik areas, west ofMosul, the source said on condition of anonymity.

    The attack resulted in the killing of 10 soldiers and woundinganother, the source said, adding that the attackers fled the scenebefore U.S. and Iraqi troops arrived the area.

    The Iraqi government kicked off on Tuesday a security plandubbed Operation Imposing Law in the city as a continuation of thesecurity plan launched on Feb. 14 in Baghdad.

    "The plan will include setting up checkpoints in and outsideMosul, raiding gunmen's hideouts and gaining security for the city's hot spots," the governor of Mosul, Duraiyd Kashmoulah said.

    Mosul, the capital city of the predominantly Sunni province ofNineveh, is some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital.