Battles rage around Najaf's holy sites

[Aidoneus]

Battles rage around Najaf's holy sites
Friday 14 May 2004

At least 10 Iraqi militiamen have reportedly been killed in fierce clashes between US occupation forces and supporters of Shia leader Muqtada al- Sadr.

The fighting erupted as US forces intensified their war against al-Sadr on Friday, sending tanks into Najaf's vast cemetery to blast guerrilla positions on sacred ground in the holy city for the first time.

Explosions and gunfire rocked Najaf for about six hours while fighting raged around the main police station, less than a kilometre from some of the most revered Shia shrines.

At least four dead and 26 wounded - mostly civilians caught in the crossfire - were taken to Najaf's hospital, officials there said. Many more people were believed to have been killed in the cemetery, but their bodies had yet to be collected, they added.

Aljazeera's correspondent reported that six US tanks had entered in Thawrat al-Aishrin square near the police station since Thursday night. More tanks joined them on Friday morning.

--snip--

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/CD724AC9-ECCD-44F6-B4E1-6F195498B97F.htm

[Kagemusha]

1. The US is damn lucky they're not using real antitank weapons.

Otherwise this wouldn't be the cakewalk it looks like.

[soleft]

2. Please discuss here - Thanks

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=554158&mesg_id=554158