The army's Fourth Infantry Division is "focused on neutralising Baath party paramilitaries and other subversive elements," said Corporal Todd Pruden, located just south of Tikrit, the hometown of deposed dictator Saddam Hussein.

Operation Ivy Serpent "is a preemptive strike on former regime leaders and non-compliant elements planning attacks on coalition forces," Pruden said.

The army is conducting its aggressive campaign along highway one north of Baghdad around the towns of Bayji, Huwayiah and Samarra, where many Sunni Muslims benefitted from Saddam's rule.

The US forces have already launched Operation Peninsula Strike, Operation Desert Scorpion and Operation Desert Sidewinder in an effort to crush the remnants of Saddam's hardened intelligence and security servives.

Since the end of major combat was declared May 1, 31 soldiers have been killed in cunning hit-and-run attacks by Saddam loyalists.

There is fear of a new offensive by the Saddam loyalists to mark the July 17, 1968 coup that brought the ousted strongman's Baath party to power.

WAR.WIRE