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| Iraq |
| Kurdish Fighters Cross Iraqi Frontline |
| 2003-03-27 |
| Iraqi Kurdish fighters crossed the frontline into Iraqi government-controlled territory on Thursday in the first such advance since the start of the U.S.-led war in the country, a Reuters witness said. "I saw a crowd of peshmerga fighters at a forward checkpoint position pointing to their own forces who had taken the hilltops around half mile away," said Reuters correspondent Mike Collett-White. Previously the territory had been held by Iraqi government troops loyal to President Saddam Hussein. There was no sign of any Iraqi soldiers and the advancing Iraqi Kurds were not involved in any clashes. Reports have suggested that the Iraqi frontline was lightly held, more of a lookout than anything else. "We have taken the hilltops, and our fighters are 2.5 miles inside Iraqi territory," said Mam Rostam, a senior peshmerga commander told Reuters at a checkpoint in the north Iraqi area controlled by the Kurds. The advance followed increasing U.S. activity in the region seen as the start of a new front in the week-old war against Saddam. U.S. paratroopers landed in northern Iraq overnight, with Washington putting the force at 1,000-strong from the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Reuters correspondent Jon Hemming saw a U.S. plane drop eight bombs over Domiz, a small town or military installation north of Mosul under Baghdad's control and close to the front line with Kurdish-ruled northern Iraq. At Kalak, another frontline village, a powerful explosion was heard at around 7 a.m. (11 p.m. EST). Heavy bombing was also reported on the road to the Baghdad-controlled northern oil capital of Kirkuk. Hope the Kurds haven't jumped the gun. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #1 it appears theyve been cleared to take rural positions but not move into Kirkuk or Mosul - I think they will be more disciplined than Northern Alliance was at Kabul, and in this case we know have coalition forces on the ground, increasing in number steadily. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-03-27 13:25:19 |