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Coalition resumes bombing of Baghad, Mosul
Baghdad, Mar 30: Baghdad came under renewed bombardment last night, with a series of explosions on the southern rim of the city, as the United States and Britain continued their military push to depose Iraq`s President Saddam Hussein.
Baghdad, Mar 30: Baghdad came under renewed bombardment last night, with a series of explosions on the southern rim of the city, as the United States and Britain continued their military push to depose Iraq`s President Saddam Hussein.
It was not immediately clear what targets had been hit in
the latest bombing, which began at around 0045 IST today.
The latest round of bombing set off a chain of about 25 powerful blasts on the city`s southern outskirts, sending huge balls of fire and smoke into the night sky. More explosions also were heard in and around northern Iraq`s main city of Mosul last night, as coalition planes resumed their bombardment, the al-Jazeera satellite network reported.
The latest air strikes were heard at around 11:20 pm (0150 IST today) mainly on the northern outskirts of Mosul, a correspondent for the Qatar-based station said. The city was also rocked by blasts at around 8:30 pm local time but the reporter was unable to tell which parts of the city had been struck. Mosul, located 450 km north of Baghdad, has been the target of airstrikes every day since March 21 by coalition forces in an effort to weaken its defenses and open a northern front against Iraqi forces.
More than 50 civilians were killed or wounded in a raid on Thursday in the city, according to al-Jazeera.
Meanwhile, coalition troops surrounding Basra targeted Iraq`s ruling Baath Party by wiping out a gathering of some 200 followers and demolishing a giant statue of President Saddam Hussein in the country`s second city yesterday.
And in central Iraq, a suicide car bombing killed four US soldiers, adding a new threat to an invasion campaign already slowed by stiff Iraqi resistance and bad weather.
Officers with the US Army`s 3rd Infantry Division said the driver of a taxicab blew himself up at a highway checkpoint north of the city of Najaf, where American forces were massing for a decisive push toward Baghdad.
It was the first successful suicide attack of the 10-day-old war that has seen US-led forces struggle with guerrilla tactics and ambushes by Iraqi troops disguised as civilians.
In the face of a barrage of media criticism and commentary from some quarters of the military that US President George W Bush said yesterday that US and British forces were advancing steadily on Baghdad in a fierce fight against "the most desperate" Iraqi units.
Backed by polls showing US support for a war even with heavier casualties, Bush also accused Iraqi President Saddam Hussein`s forces of atrocities and promised to hunt down and punish war criminals.
Yesterday`s bombing raids followed near simultaneous US-led air strikes the previous day which hit the Iraqi capital and northern city of Mosul, after an evening bombing demolished the bustling al-Nasser market in northeastern Baghdad, killing and maiming scores of civilians.
US military leaders said they had no comment on the market raid Friday.
Meanwhile, a US military spokesman in Qatar said that four US Marines were listed as missing following a clash with Iraqi forces around the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah.
"Four Marines from the first Marine Expeditionary Force are currently unaccounted for... and their whereabouts are unknown," said navy Lieutenant Commander Charles Owens, speaking at the US military`s Forward Command Center. He said the four went missing on Friday during a "combat operation."
Britain`s Press Association reported a British soldier was killed and three others were injured in a friendly fire incident in southern Iraq Friday.
The missile landed at around 0145 (0415 IST) 10 metres out to sea, according to an interior ministry official, but the fallout extended 300 metres inland, heavily damaging one of the capital`s largest and most popular shopping malls, Souk Sharq, which was vacant of shoppers at that hour.
In Washington, the State Department claimed to have broken up Iraqi terrorist plots against us interests in at least two middle eastern countries and officials said they had uncovered similar attack plans for cities around the world.
"In recent days, we received information regarding specific terrorist plots in two countries involving Iraqi intelligence officers," said spokesman Richard Boucher said.
Meanwhile, a British ship carrying tonnes of urgently needed humanitarian supplies entered the captured southern Iraqi port of Umm Qasr.
Bureau Report
The latest round of bombing set off a chain of about 25 powerful blasts on the city`s southern outskirts, sending huge balls of fire and smoke into the night sky. More explosions also were heard in and around northern Iraq`s main city of Mosul last night, as coalition planes resumed their bombardment, the al-Jazeera satellite network reported.
The latest air strikes were heard at around 11:20 pm (0150 IST today) mainly on the northern outskirts of Mosul, a correspondent for the Qatar-based station said. The city was also rocked by blasts at around 8:30 pm local time but the reporter was unable to tell which parts of the city had been struck. Mosul, located 450 km north of Baghdad, has been the target of airstrikes every day since March 21 by coalition forces in an effort to weaken its defenses and open a northern front against Iraqi forces.
More than 50 civilians were killed or wounded in a raid on Thursday in the city, according to al-Jazeera.
Meanwhile, coalition troops surrounding Basra targeted Iraq`s ruling Baath Party by wiping out a gathering of some 200 followers and demolishing a giant statue of President Saddam Hussein in the country`s second city yesterday.
And in central Iraq, a suicide car bombing killed four US soldiers, adding a new threat to an invasion campaign already slowed by stiff Iraqi resistance and bad weather.
Officers with the US Army`s 3rd Infantry Division said the driver of a taxicab blew himself up at a highway checkpoint north of the city of Najaf, where American forces were massing for a decisive push toward Baghdad.
It was the first successful suicide attack of the 10-day-old war that has seen US-led forces struggle with guerrilla tactics and ambushes by Iraqi troops disguised as civilians.
In the face of a barrage of media criticism and commentary from some quarters of the military that US President George W Bush said yesterday that US and British forces were advancing steadily on Baghdad in a fierce fight against "the most desperate" Iraqi units.
Backed by polls showing US support for a war even with heavier casualties, Bush also accused Iraqi President Saddam Hussein`s forces of atrocities and promised to hunt down and punish war criminals.
Yesterday`s bombing raids followed near simultaneous US-led air strikes the previous day which hit the Iraqi capital and northern city of Mosul, after an evening bombing demolished the bustling al-Nasser market in northeastern Baghdad, killing and maiming scores of civilians.
US military leaders said they had no comment on the market raid Friday.
Meanwhile, a US military spokesman in Qatar said that four US Marines were listed as missing following a clash with Iraqi forces around the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah.
"Four Marines from the first Marine Expeditionary Force are currently unaccounted for... and their whereabouts are unknown," said navy Lieutenant Commander Charles Owens, speaking at the US military`s Forward Command Center. He said the four went missing on Friday during a "combat operation."
Britain`s Press Association reported a British soldier was killed and three others were injured in a friendly fire incident in southern Iraq Friday.
The missile landed at around 0145 (0415 IST) 10 metres out to sea, according to an interior ministry official, but the fallout extended 300 metres inland, heavily damaging one of the capital`s largest and most popular shopping malls, Souk Sharq, which was vacant of shoppers at that hour.
In Washington, the State Department claimed to have broken up Iraqi terrorist plots against us interests in at least two middle eastern countries and officials said they had uncovered similar attack plans for cities around the world.
"In recent days, we received information regarding specific terrorist plots in two countries involving Iraqi intelligence officers," said spokesman Richard Boucher said.
Meanwhile, a British ship carrying tonnes of urgently needed humanitarian supplies entered the captured southern Iraqi port of Umm Qasr.
Bureau Report