Replies

Iraqis fight each other in Nassiriya, U.S. says

NASSIRIYA, Iraq, April 7 (Reuters) - Small arms fire and explosions echoed through the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriya after dark on Monday as U.S. forces in the area stood by and put it down to in-fighting among Iraqis.

Reuters correspondent Adrian Croft heard the crack of rifle fire and blasts from what sounded like rocket-propelled grenades ringing out in the city centre, becoming quite intense for a time. But it was unclear who was involved and U.S. commanders said they did not plan to intervene.

"We're looking at forces inside the city taking each other on. This is Iraqi against Iraqi," said Captain Rick Crevier, a company commander with the U.S. 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Crevier said the combatants could be residents fighting pro-Baghdad Fedayeen paramilitaries, people rebelling against President Saddam Hussein's Baath Party, or simply looters.

"We are letting these guys figure it out and then we'll sort things out tomorrow morning. There are no U.S. forces engaged right now," Crevier said. "We are going to go through and clear the aftermath in the morning and see what is left."

There have been incidences of looting and score-settling among Iraqis in other towns now under U.S. or British control.

It was not known whether the fighting was linked with the reported arrival in Nassiriya of several hundred anti-Saddam Iraqi opposition fighters headed by Ahmad Chalabi, the best known leader of the Iraqi National Congress (INC).

An opposition official said in Washington on Monday that the 700 fighters would join the U.S. military campaign against the Iraqi government, delivering humanitarian aid and "maintaining law, order and stability in areas already liberated."

In an apparent reference to Chalabi's group, Crevier said he understood there would be a parade through Nassiriya on Tuesday by 700 anti-Saddam forces.

Nassiriya is a strategically placed city straddling the lower Euphrates river and was the scene of fierce fighting soon after U.S. and British forces invaded Iraq on March 20. There have been no reports of Iraqi resistance there for some days.

04/07/03 15:44 ET