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London, Mar 21: British defence secretary Geoff Hoon said today that British troops had encountered `stiff resistance` from Iraqi forces defending the key southern port of Umm Qasr.
London, Mar 21: British defence secretary Geoff Hoon said today that British troops had encountered "stiff resistance" from Iraqi forces defending the key southern port of Umm Qasr.
The fighting occurred near the strategic al-Faw peninsula
-Iraq`s access point to the Persian Gulf and the site of major
oil facilities- which British forces secured earlier today.
"The al-Faw peninsula has been secured by a very successful royal marine commando operation," Hoon told. "It`s certainly a significant strategic success. It means that we have a bridgehead from which to operate, but crucially it means that part of the plan of the Iraqi authorities to destroy their oil wealth has been averted."
But Hoon said there was a "mixed picture," with some Iraqi troop surrendering at al-Faw, but others offering resistance near Umm Qasr.
Earlier, foreign secretary Jack Straw mourned the deaths of eight British soldiers, who were killed when a U.S. marine helicopter crashed in Kuwait.
Downing Street said Prime Minister Tony Blair had been informed of the deaths. "The Prime Minister has expressed his sympathy to the families," said an aide.
Straw said he hoped for as few casualties as possible, on both sides of the conflict.
"It`s the early stages of the military campaign, so its hard to say how long this will take. We all hope and pray that it will be over as quickly as possible," he said. British defence secretary Geoff Hoon said today it was still not known whether Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was killed or hurt in yesterday`s first air strikes in the Iraq war.
"There is a continuing analysis taking place of the broadcast that was supposedly of Saddam Hussein" seen yesterday after the air strikes began, said Hoon in a British television interview.
"Whether it was in fact him, we simply do not know," he said. "That analysis (of the broadcast) will have to continue in order to establish whether or not Saddam Hussein was killed or injured in the strike overnight."
The Washington Post reported earlier today that US intelligence officials believed that Saddam was in a compound in the south side of iraq`s capital Baghdad when it came under a us air strike.
It quoted a Bush administration official as saying that Saddam may have been injured in the attack, citing "indications" that emergency medical assistance was summoned for him.
Bureau Report
"The al-Faw peninsula has been secured by a very successful royal marine commando operation," Hoon told. "It`s certainly a significant strategic success. It means that we have a bridgehead from which to operate, but crucially it means that part of the plan of the Iraqi authorities to destroy their oil wealth has been averted."
But Hoon said there was a "mixed picture," with some Iraqi troop surrendering at al-Faw, but others offering resistance near Umm Qasr.
Earlier, foreign secretary Jack Straw mourned the deaths of eight British soldiers, who were killed when a U.S. marine helicopter crashed in Kuwait.
Downing Street said Prime Minister Tony Blair had been informed of the deaths. "The Prime Minister has expressed his sympathy to the families," said an aide.
Straw said he hoped for as few casualties as possible, on both sides of the conflict.
"It`s the early stages of the military campaign, so its hard to say how long this will take. We all hope and pray that it will be over as quickly as possible," he said. British defence secretary Geoff Hoon said today it was still not known whether Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was killed or hurt in yesterday`s first air strikes in the Iraq war.
"There is a continuing analysis taking place of the broadcast that was supposedly of Saddam Hussein" seen yesterday after the air strikes began, said Hoon in a British television interview.
"Whether it was in fact him, we simply do not know," he said. "That analysis (of the broadcast) will have to continue in order to establish whether or not Saddam Hussein was killed or injured in the strike overnight."
The Washington Post reported earlier today that US intelligence officials believed that Saddam was in a compound in the south side of iraq`s capital Baghdad when it came under a us air strike.
It quoted a Bush administration official as saying that Saddam may have been injured in the attack, citing "indications" that emergency medical assistance was summoned for him.
Bureau Report