March 29, 2003	Saturday	Muharram 25, 1424

BAGHDAD, March 28: Iraq said on Friday it was fighting back an invasion by US-led “sheep”, whose bombing had killed 75 civilians and wounded 290 the previous day.

Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf said Najaf suffered the heaviest losses, but Iraqi forces had managed to repel their foes and push them some 50kms further south from the central city.

“The enemy hit civilian areas in Najaf before our valiant forces successfully beat them back. Until last night, the toll from this bombing was 60 wounded and 26 martyrs,” he told a Baghdad news conference.

A US officer said American brigades battled around 1,500 Iraqis overnight near Najaf, 160kms south of Baghdad.

Mr Sahaf said seven civilians died and 92 were wounded in bombing on the capital, where a communications tower was hit and ministries were targeted.

“They say they hit government buildings as if these buildings don’t have people in them. When they hit a planning ministry building, who do they think goes there? People. Who goes to the communications buildings? Humans,” he said.

All figures related to civilian casualties since Thursday. But in the southern city of Basra, he said, 116 people had died and 659 injured since US-led forces began the war on March 20.

SLITHERING SNAKE: He predicted victory in the war with US-led forces who have met stiffer than expected resistance, including guerrilla attacks that have exposed supply lines as they push towards Baghdad, leaving smaller towns unsecured behind them.

“The imperialist invading US and British forces are like a snake that slithers all over the place but that doesn’t control anything,” Sahaf said.

“We have a strong belief that we are winning this war and there will be victory for Iraq in the end.”

In fighting on Thursday in the south of the country, Iraqi troops had also destroyed 33 tanks and armoured cars and killed four of their foes, he said.

Washington’s decision to double the number of troops in Iraq over the next month to around 200,000 would make no difference.

“With or without more troops, their fate is bleak. They will be defeated. They will face hell. Our fighting skills today will be better than yesterday and next week, we’ll be extraordinary,” Sahaf said.

“Iraq, with its weapons, its people and its territory, will become a living hell for the invaders,” he said. “Iraq will be their grave in five to 10 days.” —Reuters