mulan
13-06-03, 10:22
'Heavy casualties' in Iraq battle
American soldiers have been involved in heavy fighting during an attack on what they call a "terrorist" camp north of Baghdad.
At least 70 Iraqis were killed in the assault, according to a US army spokesman quoted by Reuters news agency.
The attack began with an air strike early on Thursday, and is reported to have continued with fierce fighting on the ground.
The senior US official running Iraq, Paul Bremer, has blamed continuing attacks against US troops on organised resistance by Baath Party loyalists.
The raid on the camp, 150 km (90 miles) north-west of Baghdad, was launched against Baathists, former Republican Guards and "other subversive elements", the US military said.
"It was a tough fight. They were well-trained or well-equipped, and clearly well prepared for this," said US Air Force General Richard Myers.
He said US intelligence services were evaluating evidence that foreign fighters might have been at the camp.
On Thursday, two US aircraft came down over Iraq.
An Apache helicopter gunship was shot down by Iraqis on the ground - the first time a US aircraft had been shot down for two months.
And an F-16 fighter-bomber crashed in a separate incident - the cause is still being investigated. In both cases the crews were unharmed.
The US military would not specifically link the downing of the Apache with the attack on the camp.
A key pipeline from northern Iraqi oilfields to Turkey has meanwhile been set ablaze by what local residents said were two bomb attacks.
The incident took place 225km (140 miles) north of Baghdad, near Baiji, which is the region of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's home town and power base.
Local sources said the attacks were sabotage, but US military sources said soldiers were investigating a fire they believed was caused by a gas leak.
"I heard no reports of sabotage," said a spokesman quoted by Reuters news agency.
American soldiers have been involved in heavy fighting during an attack on what they call a "terrorist" camp north of Baghdad.
At least 70 Iraqis were killed in the assault, according to a US army spokesman quoted by Reuters news agency.
The attack began with an air strike early on Thursday, and is reported to have continued with fierce fighting on the ground.
The senior US official running Iraq, Paul Bremer, has blamed continuing attacks against US troops on organised resistance by Baath Party loyalists.
The raid on the camp, 150 km (90 miles) north-west of Baghdad, was launched against Baathists, former Republican Guards and "other subversive elements", the US military said.
"It was a tough fight. They were well-trained or well-equipped, and clearly well prepared for this," said US Air Force General Richard Myers.
He said US intelligence services were evaluating evidence that foreign fighters might have been at the camp.
On Thursday, two US aircraft came down over Iraq.
An Apache helicopter gunship was shot down by Iraqis on the ground - the first time a US aircraft had been shot down for two months.
And an F-16 fighter-bomber crashed in a separate incident - the cause is still being investigated. In both cases the crews were unharmed.
The US military would not specifically link the downing of the Apache with the attack on the camp.
A key pipeline from northern Iraqi oilfields to Turkey has meanwhile been set ablaze by what local residents said were two bomb attacks.
The incident took place 225km (140 miles) north of Baghdad, near Baiji, which is the region of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's home town and power base.
Local sources said the attacks were sabotage, but US military sources said soldiers were investigating a fire they believed was caused by a gas leak.
"I heard no reports of sabotage," said a spokesman quoted by Reuters news agency.