Members of Iraq's regular army withdrew from the Kurdistan-Iraq demarcation line southwest of Arbil on Wednesday after failing to resist overnight incursions of US aircraft. US-led coalition forces took, in a successful push, gained control of Navshen, in the Qalat Sur region, and Shamameh village, taking with them a considerable amount of munitions, foodstuff and a truck loaded with equipment for the Iraqi opposition Kurdistan Democratic Party whose members are fighting alongside British forces in the north. The London-based Human Rights Watch reported that the Iraqi forces heavily mined their former positions in Kafri before they withdraw which led to the death of an Iranian freelance cameraman working for BBC, Kaveh Golestan, who stepped on one of these mines. Iraqis shelled residential areas in Kifri on Wednesday resulting in two civilians dead and 10 others injured.
At least IRNA's neutrality seems to be becoming a little less neutral... |