Hundreds of Iraqis killed in four-day battle for Kifl (3rd Infantry UPDATE)

Reuters AlertNet ^ | 29 Mar 2003 19:45:36 GMT | By Kieran Murray

[11th_VA]

KIFL, Iraq, March 29 (Reuters) - When U.S. tanks rumbled into this town on the Euphrates river, irregular Iraqi forces set up sniper nests up and down the main street, opening fire from doors, windows, market stalls and patches of open ground.

A crimson sunset painted the street red and visibility fell to less than five meters (15 feet) as a swirling sand and dust storm kicked up when the guerrilla units attacked.

U.S. officers said fighters in minivans, pick-up trucks and cars drove straight at the oncoming tanks. Others took to canoes, rowing down the river and trying to fix explosives to the main bridge.

But the guerrilla-style forces were vastly outgunned by the tanks of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division, and hundreds of Iraqis have died in this town over the last four days.

The officers said the tank unit fired two 120 mm high velocity depleted uranium rounds straight down the main road, creating a powerful vacuum that literally sucked guerrillas out from their hideaways into the street, where they were shot down by small arms fire or run over by the tanks.

"It was mad chaos like you cannot imagine," said the tank unit's commander, who identified himself as "Cobra 6" as he did not want friends and neighbours back home to know what he had been through.

"We took a lot of fire, and we gave a lot of fire," he said.

"You couldn't see anything except all those hues of red and the sound of fire from all sides. It was not earthly. I'll have nightmares about it."

Dozens of bodies still littered the streets on Saturday.

Some were wrapped in blue and black body bags, but others were still out in the open, rotting in the midday sun. Several spilled out of their charred and shattered cars and trucks, burned beyond recognition.

HIGH COST

Iraq's efforts to stall the U.S. military advance towards Baghdad appear to include putting elite officers in with irregular paramilitary or guerrilla structures at strategic points.

In Kifl, which lies north of Najaf and about 130 km (81 miles) south of Baghdad, the strategy may have slowed the U.S. forces, but only at an extremely high cost.

Some U.S. soldiers estimate that at least 1,000 Iraqis were killed here since the fighting began at dusk on Wednesday, and everyone puts the number in the hundreds.

Officers say just one U.S. soldier has died.

Sporadic mortar fire and bursts of sniper fire kept U.S. troops alert in the town late on Saturday, but officers said most of the resistance in the town had been overcome.

The main danger was now posed by an artillery unit about 16 km (10 miles) to the north.

"I'm sure there are still some knuckleheads in the town, but the real problem is what's outside," said Colonel Joseph Anderson of the 101st Airborne Division, which moved in to help secure Kifl on Saturday.

Wave after wave of Iraqi soldiers and paramilitaries had set up mortar positions at an old brick factory on the edge of town, getting dropped off from civilian vehicles at a large tree that U.S. forces here now call the "Gateway to Hell".

U.S. officers said they had destroyed up to 50 vehicles making drop-offs there, adding the brick factory, like much of Kifl, was now virtually abandoned.

The canoes lie empty on the river beds and only U.S. soldiers walk up and down the town's main streets.

Some families were still seen in their homes on the edge of town on Saturday, tending to sheep and goats as U.S. tanks and trucks rolled by with nervous soldiers looking out over the fields, their guns loaded for any new guerrilla threat.

While the guerrilla tactics appeared to have failed in Kifl, the Iraqis claimed responsibility for a suicide car bomb which killed at least four U.S. soldiers on Saturday at a military checkpoint near Najaf.

[11th_VA]

The officers said the tank unit fired two 120 mm high velocity depleted uranium rounds straight down the main road, creating a powerful vacuum that literally sucked guerrillas out from their hideaways into the street, where they were shot down by small arms fire or run over by the tanks.

whoaaaaa .....

[snooker]

>>>The officers said the tank unit fired two 120 mm high velocity depleted uranium rounds straight down the main road, creating a powerful vacuum that literally sucked guerrillas out from their hideaways into the street, where they were shot down by small arms fire or run over by the tanks.

I would pay to see that.

[Zorrito]

The officers said the tank unit fired two 120 mm high velocity depleted uranium rounds straight down the main road, creating a powerful vacuum that literally sucked guerrillas out from their hideaways into the street, where they were shot down by small arms fire or run over by the tanks.

Nice!

[guitfiddlist]

creating a powerful vacuum that literally sucked guerrillas out from their hideaways into the street

Story by Kieran Murray of Reuters. This is what happens when they don't teach physics in colleges of journalism.

[rumrunner]

I wonder if the "Arab Street" has been told of this by their objective media?

[neutrino]

Some U.S. soldiers estimate that at least 1,000 Iraqis were killed here since the fighting began at dusk on Wednesday, and everyone puts the number in the hundreds

Awwww....isn't that a pity? (/sarcasm)

[BenLurkin]

Prayers for our troops.

[xJones]

Officers say just one U.S. soldier has died.

Oh stop, you...you... bully! (blowing into hankies instead of Yankees). < /sarcasm>

Reuters reporters are having heart palpitations and vapors. That should have been at least 1,000 Americans that died.

[Illbay]

People make fun of the French, but afaik the only military success enjoyed by the Arabs was against the Turks in World War II--and that was ONLY because a young English Officer, T. E. Lawrence, was in command.

I can see why. These people have no more idea how to fight than the Plains Indians in the Nineteenth Century American West, who thought hitting a horse-soldier with a coup stick was the ultimate in bravery--then he got shot right off his horse.

[Joee]

This "sucking" action is something I have never heard of before. But then again, I understand the world is "flat" too. Think I need some more verification on supporting tank fire.

[San Jacinto]

The officers said the tank unit fired two 120 mm high velocity depleted uranium rounds straight down the main road, creating a powerful vacuum that literally sucked guerrillas out from their hideaways into the street, where they were shot down by small arms fire or run over by the tanks.

Is the tank commander having a litle fun with the reporter? It sounds like a Paul Bunyan or Pecos Bill kinda deal to me.

[Ecliptic]

Not to sound naive, but if we keep destroying their armor and they don't use Chemicals.......this may the best they can offer....

[x1stcav]

"The officers said the tank unit fired two 120 mm high velocity depleted uranium rounds straight down the main road, creating a powerful vacuum that literally sucked guerrillas out from their hideaways into the street, where they were shot down by small arms fire or run over by the tanks."

I'm assuming that Kieran Murray is the author of this article. If that is the case, this person is an idiot.

[jellybean]

...a powerful vacuum that literally sucked guerrillas out from their hideaways into the street, where they were shot down by small arms fire or run over by the tanks.

Now that's a heavy duty vacuum!!!

[tomahawk]

You can tell that the Reuters reporter is quite sad that only one American soldier was killed.

They clearly sympathize with Saddam's supporters.

[x1stcav]

After I posted, I read yours and decided that your scenario is more likely.

[tomahawk]

You mean WW I of course, not WW II

[VRWC_minion]

creating a powerful vacuum that literally sucked guerrillas out from their hideaways into the street,

New meaning to the Monica effect.

[BunnySlippers]

Ditto on the "Whoa". That sentence caught my eye as well.