Posted on 03/27/2003 4:47:38 AM PST by kattracks
Skirmishes flare in southern Iraqi town of Zubayr
ZUBAYR, Iraq, March 27 (Reuters) - It's only 35 km (20 miles) from Kuwait and almost 600 km (370 miles) from Baghdad, but one week into the invasion of Iraq, it's still not been fully secured by U.S.-British forces.
In Zubayr, the nearest Iraqi town to Kuwait, British troops were firing from artillery and machineguns on Thursday.
Little puffs of smoke rose over the town, Reuters reporter Rosalind Russell said.
"We were targeting some militia who were holed up in a house on the outskirts," said Sergeant Jeremy Rendle, a British tank commander. He said the operation was a success.
Earlier this week U.S.-led forces blew up President Saddam Hussein's ruling Baath party headquarters in the town with guided missiles after British marines were sniped at.
The Arab Al Jazeera television channel has broadcast pictures of two dead soldiers and two prisoners of war who it said were British, in film it said it obtained after fighting at Zubayr earlier this week.
Britain said on Thursday is was almost certain that the two dead soldiers shown were British. British media identified them as members of the frontline "Desert Rats" who went missing in action during an Iraqi attack on Sunday.
03/27/03 07:40 ET
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