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| Iraq |
| 1000 Iraqi dead in Najaf battle |
| 2003-03-26 |
| Up to 1,000 Iraqi troops have been killed in the battle for the Iraqi town of Najaf, according to US officials. American forces say they have encountered "tenacious" resistance from the Iraqi Army and Saddam Hussein's loyalist militia around the town, which is 50 miles south of Baghdad. The fighting is said to have developed into the biggest battle of the war so far. US intelligence officer Major John Altman told Sky News correspondent Colin Brazier that Iraqi troops and militia were dressing up in civilian clothing, and were firing from tanks and artillery hidden in mosques and schools in the town. "It's frustrating for us because we have to determine who the friend and who the foe are," he told Brazier, who is with American forces near Najaf. "When we moved up to our positions outside the town we encountered some resistance form regular Iraqi Army forces, and as we tried to gain access to bridges and roads we came into contact with some of Saddam's irregular forces - his militia. These are hardline people that support the regime and although they vary in skill and the weapons they have, they tend to be a bit more tenacious." An unspecified number of US tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles were destroyed by Iraqis armed with rocket propelled grenades and automatic rifles. The fate of the tank drivers is not known. The clash took place at Abu Sukhayr, 13 miles southeast of Najaf. Other US reports say Iraqis have executed 40 civilians acused of collaboration in Najaf. "This could be a way of making sure there are no uprisings," said Major Altman. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #3 Eric and OldS: I agree that these reports should be clarified, if only to take ammo away from al-Jazeera and the jackal-pack. |
| Posted by: Anonon 2003-03-26 23:30:27 |
| #2 Tank officer probably used the term "Mobility Kill" and they took that to mean "Destroyed". |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2003-03-26 22:08:53 |
| #1 RPG's destroyed M-1's? Damaged........maybe. Destroyed? I think not. |
| Posted by: Eric 2003-03-26 21:04:17 |