During the last week of October, suspected Sunni guerrillas have assassinated several pro-U.S. leaders in the triangle situated among the towns of Yusufiyah, Latifiyah and Mahmudiyah. Local Shiite tribal sources say guerrillas assassinated the sheikh of Mahmudiyah — a Sunni communist who opposed Saddam Hussein's regime and headed a Gharir Arab tribe consisting of both Sunni and Shia — on Oct. 25, after he failed to heed warnings to stop supporting U.S. coalition forces. The latest attack on coalition supporters came Oct. 29, when two local policemen were killed by suspected guerrillas in nearby Latifiyah. These killings come during a time when Sunni insurgents in the Yusufiyah-Latifiyah-Mahmudiyah triangle have been intensifying pressure on Shiite tribes to force them either to leave the area or support the insurgency. The Sunni guerrillas are attempting to take control of the triangle south of Baghdad because the area is vital for the U.S.