More inside out reporting from Reuters. Headline says Iraqi militia pins down allies, then story goes on to describe how it is actually Iraqi militia that is pinned down. Very strange choice of headline.
alertnet.org
27 Mar 2003 17:20:34 GMT
Iraqi militia pin down U.S.-led forces in south
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Michael Georgy and Rosalind Russell
AL-ZUBAYR, Iraq, March 27 (Reuters) - Iraqi militias are pinning down U.S.-led forces in southern Iraq, trapping civilians in the crossfire and thwarting the invaders' bid to advance on main cities.
While many people in southern Iraq have little sympathy for President Saddam Hussein, they are increasing angered by the chaos they blame on troops sent in an operation dubbed "Iraqi Freedom" by U.S. President George W. Bush.
"We live in fear at night," said 40-year-old Om Talal, her youngest child at her feet in the southern town of Al-Zubayr. "Already two of our houses have been destroyed. Why must they fire on our houses and kill civilians?"
It is a scene repeated across southern Iraq, where only the port city of Umm Qasr has been captured by U.S.-led forces who launched a thunderous ground assault a week ago with the aim of toppling Saddam.
Everywhere the operations on hideouts of pro-Saddam militiamen, in small groups and mixing with the local population, are sapping U.S. and British firepower. Residents say as many as 15 civilians have been killed in al-Zubayr.
Tanks, which were expected to roll into the main southern city of Basra early in the war, are bogged down in battles in civilian neighbourhoods with a few Saddam loyalists proving strong enough to hold back the invasion.
On Thursday, British tank fire was trained on a house on the outskirts of al-Zubayr, 20 km (13 miles) south of Basra in an operation backed by machinegun fire and grenades.
MILITIA HOLED UP
British soldiers from the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment said a nest of militiamen was holed up in the densely populated town of flat-roofed cement houses.
"We're targeting some militia holed up in that house over there," said tank commander Sergeant Jeremy Rendle, looking across the dusty scrub as plumes of grey smoke rose from the town. "We just have to take it bit by bit."
The operation took several hours, leaving fleeing civilians stranded at a nearby intersection, spectators to the destruction of their own neighbourhood.
Some took the chance to gather empty green ammunition boxes to use as firewood. Others simply stood and stared, listening to the steady thump of explosions, and the distant crackle of return fire from militiamen armed with AK-47 rifles.
"We have no water, no electricity," said Abdullah Falih. "We don't know when this is going to end."
U.S. and British troops have encircled both Basra and al-Zubayr, but have kept to positions about 3 km (2 miles) away.
A line of rickety cars and trucks, some loaded with tomatoes and onions, lined up at the British-guarded intersection, waiting for the fighting to subside.
Residents of al-Zubayr say the resistance is coming mainly from poorly-armed members of Saddam's ruling Baath party, rather than Iraq's regular army or elite Republican Guard.
They know who they are and where they live, but none dared give such information to coalition forces for fear of reprisals |
