U.S. warplanes and artillery attacked Sunni insurgents holed up in a slum in a thunderous show of force that rocked Fallujah Tuesday, sending huge plumes of black smoke into the night sky. The assault came after American troops killed 64 gunmen near the southern city of Najaf.
An American soldier was killed Tuesday in Baghdad, raising the U.S. death toll for April to 115 - the same number lost during the invasion of Iraq that toppled Saddam Hussein last year. Up to 1,200 Iraqis also have been killed this month.
The second straight night of battles in Fallujah came as the extension of a fragile cease-fire ended in the turbulent city west of Baghdad. Marines have been preparing to begin patrols in the city later this week.
Tuesday's battle appeared far heavier than the previous night's clashes, in which a Marine and eight insurgents were killed - suggesting U.S. forces were trying to wear down gunmen in the Jolan neighborhood, a district of narrow alleyways and ramshackle houses.
An AC-130, a powerful gunship that can unleash a deluge of ordnance, joined 105mm howitzers in opening up on insurgent targets in the neighborhood. Gunfire and explosions reverberated for nearly two hours, and an eerie orange glow shone over the area while showers of sparks descended like fireworks.
Fires were visible in the Jolan neighborhood, and mosque loudspeakers elsewhere in the city called for firefighters. U.S. aircraft dropped white leaflets over Fallujah before nightfall, calling on insurgents to give up.
"Surrender, you are surrounded," the leaflets said. "If you are a terrorist, beware, because your last day was yesterday. In order to spare your life end your actions and surrender to coalition forces now. We are coming to arrest you."
Fighting also broke out in Baghdad and in the south, where U.S. forces are in a standoff with militiamen loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who is wanted on murder charges for allegedly killing a fellow cleric.
[...]
Joint patrols by Marines and Iraqis are a key part of the political effort, aiming to restore a semblance of control in Fallujah. Marines began training Iraqi security forces on Tuesday for the patrols, practicing in an industrial zone on the southern side of the city held by U.S. forces.
South of Baghdad, U.S. troops battled militiamen loyal [to] al-Sadr on the east side of the Euphrates River, outside the cities of Najaf and Kufa.
The first fight came in the afternoon, when Shiite militiamen fired on a U.S. patrol. In the ensuing firefight, < u>seven insurgents were killed. Hours later, an M1 tank was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades. A heavy battle erupted, during which warplanes destroyed an anti-aircraft gun belonging to the militia and 57 gunmen were killed, Kimmitt said.
Najaf hospitals listed 37 dead, all young men of fighting age, suggesting they may have been militiamen. Al-Sadr aides said civilians also died, but could not say how many.
[Uh-huh. Isn't this special?--Jen]
U.S. forces killed 64 Iraqis on Monday and Tuesday in battles with militiamen outside the Shiite holy city of Najaf, Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said.
The fighting came as U.S. troops are trying to hike up the pressure on al-Sadr. A force of 200 U.S. troops moved into a base in Najaf to replace Spanish troops.
[Those bastards!
I will never forgive the Spanish for pulling out in the middle of the Coalition's biggest fight since we began the War on Terror!--Jen]
The Americans have said they will avoid the Shiite holy shrines about three miles away in the heart of Najaf.
Fewer al-Sadr fighters were seen Tuesday on the streets of Najaf and nearby Kufa, where they have been digging in over the past week against a possible American attack.
So went the war last night.
Our guys are getting the upper hand but it cost us a few soldiers' lives, I'm sorry to say.
God rest them.
But the good news is that we ended the jihad permanently for a lot more of the enemy!
The next 2 months until the June 30 handover may be the longest of our lives, but get through them we will and victoriously, as well.
The insurgents are already starting to buckle, because lookie here, their tribal leaders are going to try and talk the IslamoNazis into giving up:
