March 27, 2003	Thursday	Muharram 23, 1424

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LONDON, March 26: Following are the known military operations by 5:45pm on Wednesday, the seventh day of Iraq war:

BAGHDAD: A Reuters reporter said a dozen explosions were heard to the south and southeast of Baghdad where units of Iraq’s Republican Guard were believed to be deployed. Warplanes were also heard roaring through the night skies.

An earlier air raid on Baghdad hit a busy market in the north of the city, killing at least 15 and injuring many.

The country’s international satellite television channel stopped broadcasts during the morning raids, but came back on air later.

SOUTHERN IRAQ: US troops fought a fierce battle with Iraqi forces on Wednesday for control of a bridge over the Euphrates river close to the southern Iraqi city of Najaf, a US military officer monitoring the clash said. He said an unspecified number of US tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles had been destroyed by Iraqis armed with rocket propelled grenades and automatic rifles during the clash at Abu Sukhayr, 20km southeast of Najaf.

US Marines also fought bloody skirmishes as their surge north towards Baghdad came under sporadic Iraqi attack. US artillery fired back, allowing the Marines to get through Shatra after a two-hour delay and reach Qal’at Sukkar, about 100km north of Nassiriya.

In a separate clash a US Marines supply convoy of some 80 vehicles carrying fuel, food and ammunition came under attack in southern Iraq in a firefight lasting some 30 minutes, a Reuters reporter with the convoy said.

Unrest rippled in the Iraqi southern city of Basra on Wednesday, but it was unclear as to how serious or widespread the opposition was to the ruling Baath party of President Saddam Hussein.

NORTHERN IRAQ: Warplanes pounded frontline Iraqi positions near the town of Chamchamal in the Kurdish-controlled north of the country.

Chamchamal lies some 35km east of the key northern Iraqi oil city of Kirkuk, which has also been bombed in recent days. Kirkuk is in territory controlled by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.—Reuters