US forces today secured the central Iraqi city of Kerbala and a strategically important Tigris river crossing in their push to Baghdad. Commanders of the US 3rd Infantry Division had expected a day-long battle to seize the perimeter of the city, which is about 112 kilometres to the south of Baghdad, but the operation lasted three hours.
Rather than tackling Iraqi soldiers inside the US soldiers secured all major exit routes and continued the drive north.
US marines later took control of the main Highway 6 from Kut to Baghdad- the eastern flank of the advance – and seized a Tigris river crossing one senior officer said was the ”last big bridge” needed for an advance on the Iraqi capital.
He said the Baghdad Division of Iraq’s Republican Guard, based at Kut, was now ”irrelevant”.
Pentagon officials have said the Republican Guard must be eliminated before ground troops move on to Baghdad.
General Richard Myers, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said the Medina and Baghdad units had been heavily worn down, and elements of two of Iraq’s northernmost Republican Guard divisions — the Adnan and Nebuchadnezzar — were moving south towards Baghdad, apparently to reinforce units under attack.
A new statement from Saddam Hussein broadcast today by Iraqi satellite television said the Iraqi armed forces had not used their full capabilities in the war.
”Fight them. Victory is at hand, God willing, although we have only utilised a third or less of our army while the criminals have used everything they brought in.
”Their failure was manifested and victory is glowing, God willing.”
The statement singled out the 11th Division of the Iraqi army and Ba’ath Party members in Nasiriyah and other southern towns who have ”exhausted” the coalition forces and urged Iraqis to follow their example in defending their cities.
Iraq’s defence minister, Sultan Hashem Ahmed, claimed aerial bombardment of Republican Guard positions south of Baghdad had caused minimal damage, because of ”good fortifications”.
”The Republican Guard corps are in their best morale and will inflict damage on the enemy that it had never seen before,” he said.
The battle in the south
Fighting has continued in Najaf, where US troops backed by helicopters, A-10 Warthog warplanes and RAF Tornados attacked Fedayeen militia fighters.
Lieutenant Colonel Chris Holden of 101st Airborne said the city was a centre of the irregulars’ unexpected resistance.
”The target is to destroy Fedayeen units and anyone else trying to disrupt our lines of communication,” he said. ”We are going to destroy them.”
British forces reported a quiet night in southern Iraq after US troops advanced toward Basra in the north.
”Basra was calm, although we’re continuing our patrols to seek out paramilitary forces,” British military spokesman Group Captain Al Lockwood said.
”We’re treating it very carefully. There’s 1,3-million citizens in Basra, and their safety is our highest priority.”
The bombardment of Baghdad
In the capital, explosions and anti-aircraft fire were again heard as the aerial bombardment began shortly before dawn after an unusual lull in bombing for most of the night.
A presidential compound on the banks of the Tigris where President Saddam’s son Qusay has his headquarters was hit, and sustained explosions pounded Republican Guard positions on the southern edge of the city.
Smoke also rose to the east of the centre in an area where airforce and other military buildings are situated. Tracer fire lit the sky and warplanes could be heard flying overhead.
The northern front
Reuters reporter Jon Hemming says US B-52 warplanes have bombed the northern Iraqi front line between the town of Dohuk and the city of Mosul.
Prisoner rescue
US marines staged a decoy attack on targets in Nassiriya to allow special forces to rescue a soldier, Private Jessica Lynch, held prisoner by Iraqi troops, it was announced today.
Private Lynch was captured on March 23, one of 15 soldiers listed missing, captured or killed when a 507th Ordnance Maintenance Company convoy made a wrong turn and came under attack from Iraqi tanks and fighters.
Five of the captives, but not Private Lynch, were shown on Iraqi television as well as the bloodied bodies of up to eight men, prompting the US president, George Bush, to warn Iraqis they would be punished as ”war criminals” if they mistreated prisoners.
Military officials would not discuss the fate of the other captives, but CNN reported that the rescue team also brought out the bodies of up to 11 people believed to be US soldiers.
Jim Wilkinson, a representative for US commander General Tommy Franks, said of the other POWs: ”I can’t get into operational details, but we have a lot more work to do. We have a lot more POWs that we are still worried about.”
Private Lynch was said to be doing well but CNN also reported she had suffered multiple gunshot wounds at some point during her ordeal that made it hard to move her.
The marines’ decoy attack involved a number of targets, including an artillery and air attack on a Ba’ath party headquarters. – Guardian Unlimited Â