Militant attack north of Baghdad kills 7 troops

BAGHDAD (AP) — Militants launched an attack on a Sunni-dominated city north of Baghdad on Thursday, killing seven members of the Iraqi security forces and setting off a day-long battle that eventually forced them to retreat from the city.

The assault on Samarra, 95 kilometers (60 miles) from Baghdad, started with dozens of gunmen driving into the city in the morning in SUVs, attacking security checkpoints and police stations and taking control of some areas of the city for hours, officials said.