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Resistance Fighters Killed 30 Occupation Forces in Baghdad Battle
From Jihad UnspunA fresh and bloody conflict between Iraqi Resistance fighters and American occupation forces broke out yesterday on Haifa Street in the center of Baghdad that resulted in heavy losses for the Americans who were forced to withdraw by late afternoon. The battle broke out at approximately 1:00 pm when US Marines tried to enter Haifa Street under the cover of an intense aerial bombardment. The Americans also positioned snipers on the roof tops of Saddam Medical City Buildings as well as other buildings, which were countered by Iraqi snipers placed in strategic positions. The American strategy to take Haifa street yesterday was to deploy 13 armored personnel carriers, each holding 11 allied troops who would then enter on to the street through the rear doors of the vehicles. The strategy was known to Iraqi resistance who fighters then showered the Americans and their collaborators with intense gunfire and RPGs resulted in the heavy casualties. Resistance fighters fired a variety of ordinances at the aggressors including 60mm mortar rounds, RPG and BKC rockets and hand grenades. By late afternoon, after the battle raged for several hours, American and US-led Iraqi forces were forced to withdraw after incurring heavy losses. Approximately 30 occupation forces were killed, according to Mafkarat al-Islam who had three reporters on Hafia Street with Iraqi resistance fighters during the battle. Their reports state that it was nearly impossible to distinguish between dead Americans and dead collaborators because both were wearing the same uniforms. American forces retrieved those killed as two Apache helicopters provided cover from the air, stacking the bodies on top of each other in two armored vehicles. It should be noted that this is the first time that Mafkarat al-Islam's correspondents have reported that female US-led Iraqi soldiers were seen fighting alongside of Americans for the first time. It is unclear whether any were killed in yesterday's conflict. Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-09-20 |
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