IRAQ-CONFLICT: US-British troops come under attack in Al Kut

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Att.Editors: The following item is from the Qatar News Agency (QNA)

AL KUT, Apr 4 2003 (IPS) - The Iraqi armed forces have launched a violent attack against the US Marines in Al Kut city, 60 km southeast of the capital, Baghdad.

Reports said this morning that the Iraqi Republican Guard forces took part in such attack and used artillery shelling and tank fires, yet the US troops did not deal with them.

Meanwhile US Pentagon officials said a convoy of Marines proceeded northerly towards Baghdad at dawn today via the Tigris River and heavily shelled the posts of the Iraqi forces southeast of Baghdad in a bid to control a bridge over the Tigris River.

Explosions were heard early Friday in central Baghdad thought to be resulting from shelling reported from the southwestern edge of the city near the Saddam International Airport, which is located 15 km southwest of Baghdad.

Iraqi official sources have reported that 83 Iraqis were killed during fighting in the area of the airport, in Al Fourat village in particular. The village is situated between the airport and the capital proper.

Fighting for the airport began on Thursday night, said a situation report circulated on Friday by the forward units of the US 3rd Infantry Division that are advancing on the Iraqi capital.