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Baghdad division of Republican Guard destroyed: US
Camp as Sayliyah, Apr 02: American forces, which crossed the Tigris river in the drive toward the Iraqi capital, destroyed the Baghdad division of Iraq`s Republican Guard, the US Central Command said today.
Camp as Sayliyah, Apr 02: American forces, which crossed the Tigris river in the drive toward the Iraqi capital, destroyed the Baghdad division of Iraq's Republican Guard, the US Central Command said today.
The US forces seized the strategic town of Kut, to the southeast of the capital, and routed the Republican Guard division force that had been guarding the highway leading to Baghdad.
"The Baghdad Division has been destroyed," said Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks. He said that two other Republican Guard Divisions had been engaged around the city of Karbala, southwest of Baghdad, and that Coalition forces had seized control of a dam on lake al-Milh. Some analysts had feared the Iraqis would try to destroy the dam and trap US forces with the resulting flood. Brooks showed video of US troops carrying wounded POW Jessica Lynch on a stretcher to a waiting helicopter after she was rescued in a raid at a hospital in the south-central Iraqi town of Nasiriyah. She had been held as a prisoner of war since her unit was attacked by Iraqis on March 23.
Brooks said that 11 bodies were recovered in the night time raid. Two were found in the morgue of the hospital and a captured Iraqi led US troops to the bodies of nine other people who were buried in the town outside the hospital, he said.
US forensics experts were trying to identify the remains.
The rescue force fought its way into and out of the hospital with Iraqis firing on them from nearby buildings, he said. She was held by paramilitary troops who dress in civilian clothes.
Bureau Report
"The Baghdad Division has been destroyed," said Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks. He said that two other Republican Guard Divisions had been engaged around the city of Karbala, southwest of Baghdad, and that Coalition forces had seized control of a dam on lake al-Milh. Some analysts had feared the Iraqis would try to destroy the dam and trap US forces with the resulting flood. Brooks showed video of US troops carrying wounded POW Jessica Lynch on a stretcher to a waiting helicopter after she was rescued in a raid at a hospital in the south-central Iraqi town of Nasiriyah. She had been held as a prisoner of war since her unit was attacked by Iraqis on March 23.
Brooks said that 11 bodies were recovered in the night time raid. Two were found in the morgue of the hospital and a captured Iraqi led US troops to the bodies of nine other people who were buried in the town outside the hospital, he said.
US forensics experts were trying to identify the remains.
The rescue force fought its way into and out of the hospital with Iraqis firing on them from nearby buildings, he said. She was held by paramilitary troops who dress in civilian clothes.
Bureau Report