- Title: IRAQ: UNITED STATES FORCES CONTINUE ATTACKS ON TARGETS NORTHEAST OF BAGHDAD
- Date: 20th November 2003
- Summary: (U4) SADA, NORTH OF BAQUBA, IRAQ (NOVEMBER 19, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV MAIN ROAD IN SADA VILLAGE NORTH OF BAQUBA 0.03 2. SLV VILLAGE BOMBED BY U.S. FORCES.; SLV ROAD LEADING TO ORCHARDS; SCU BULLET HOLES ON THE WALL OF ORCHARD'; SLV DATE-PALM TREES FALLEN ON GROUND (9 SHOTS) 0.43 3. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) VILLAGER HUSSEIN ALI, SAYING "The bombing was launched by hostile American troops from the airport side. They were hit from there. This area is a poor and secure village, which has nothing to do with the attacks on the hostile American troops. Some of the bombs fell on a house and damaged a car". 1.02 4. SLV HOUSE; SCU BULLET HOLES ON CAR; SCU HOLES ON MAIN DOOR OF HOUSE (5 SHOTS) 1.19 5. SLV RESTAURANT ON THE MAIN ROAD HIT DURING THE BOMBING; SLV U.S. MILITARY VEHICLES PASSING THROUGH THE VILLAGE 1.30 (W4) BASRA, 550KM SOUTH OF BAGHDAD (NOVEMBER 19, 2003) (REUTERS) 6. MV BRITISH SOLDIER STANDING AT FRONT OF ATTACKED CAR; SCU CAR; SCU SHATTERED WINDOWS; SCU HOLES OF SHRAPNEL ON THE CAR (14 SHOTS) 3.05 7. SLV BRITISH SOLDIERS BLOCKING ROAD NEAR SITE; SLV DAMAGED VEHICLE 3.13 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 5th December 2003 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SADA, NORTH OF BAQUBA AND BASRA, 550KM SOUTH OF BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA2GKJHN0ZF44ROLCV8TFBY01U2
- Story Text: U.S. forces continue attacks on targets northeast of
the capital Baghdad.
Residents of Sada village north of the Iraqi town of
Baquba complained of punitive U.S. raids against suspected
rebel hideouts on Wednesday (November 19, 2003).
They said there was no sign of any guerrilla activity
in the area prior to the strikes, expressing bewilderment
at the choice of targets.
"This area is a poor and secure village, which has
nothing to do with the attacks on the hostile American
troops. Some of the bombs fell on a house and damaged a
car," said Hussein Ali a villager from the area .
Residents of the area said the aerial attacks targeted
orchard and farmlands, burning more than 500 date-palm trees.
In recent days, U.S. forces have used heavy artillery,
battle tanks, attack helicopters, F-16 fighter-bombers and
AC-130 gunships to pound targets throughout central Iraq,
including Tikrit, Baquba and Fallujah.
According to villagers the bombing was centred on Sada
village, some 10 km north of Baquba, and U.S. jets and
Apache helicopter gunships blasted trees and abandoned
buildings along a road where attacks have been so common to
deny insurgents cover for rocket attacks.
The show of force came in response to an upsurge in
guerrilla activity and a significant increase in the number
of coalition casualties since the start of this month.
The attack was the second of two-night of an operation
dubbed furious fire by the Task Force 367 of the Second
Brigade, Fourth Infantry Division.
Meanwhile a convoy of two vehicles was attacked by an
improvised explosive device (IED) in Basra city on
Wednesday morning, said a spokesman for the British
military press, adding that one vehicle was damaged and one
civilian received some light injuries.
Iraq's largest southern city Basra's is enjoying
relative peace compared with the violence-stricken central
and western region of Iraq.
The British military presence, visible on foot
patrols throughout the city in berets instead of helmets
is intentionally kept low-key.
However, though many residents voiced a desire to see
British forces eventually leave once stability is fully
established, there is little resentment towards the
coalition.
Mainly Shiite southern Iraq has seen fewer attacks on
occupying troops than Baghdad and the Sunni Muslim
heartland around the Iraqi capital.
U.S. forces bombed sites in the western edge of the
city of Baghdad on Wednesday which was suspected of being
used by the resistance fighters as hideouts to launch
attacks on occupying forces.
As part of a major operation to crack down on
resistance fighters, the U.S. forces bombed and destroyed
bunkers belonging to the former Iraqi army in Doura
neighbourhood of Baghdad.
The bombardments were part of stepped-up operations
this month by U.S. forces in the country responding to an
escalation in the insurgency against them that has killed
at least 177 U.S. soldiers in just over six months.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
