British forces engage Iraqi forces north of Rumaila oil fields (My title)

BBC ^ | 3/31/03

[LdSentinal]

0627: The British army says it wiped out a significant amount of armour and infantry north of the Rumaila oil fields overnight.

[EternalVigilance]

They show it, and we'll destroy it.

[wretchard]

Very interesting. The area north of the Rumaylah oilfields is a swamp overlaid by a grid of roads of levees, which eventually lead to the road north over the Shatt Al Arab, then along the Tigris to Baghdad.

Apparently, the Iraqis are still force north of Rumaylah, for them to have armor and infantry stationed there. That suggests that the road north via the Tigris is not yet open. What we don't know is whether the Brits were responding to an attack south by the Iraqi forces holding the road, or whether we are seeing the start of a British roll north along the Shatt Al Arab and the Tigris.