April 7, 2003	Monday	Safar 4, 1424

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

BAGHDAD, April 6: US forces tightened their grip on most of the roads leading to Baghdad on Sunday, as bombs and artillery battered the city, hospitals were engulfed with casualties and relief organizations warned of a growing humanitarian crisis.

President Saddam Hussein’s information minister insisted forces loyal to the Iraqi leader were pushing back the invaders. But the reality was that US troops appeared to be methodically preparing the ground for a final assault to kill or capture Saddam, his sons and all his top associates and were meeting little organized or sustained resistance.

US officers said they had cut most approaches to the sprawling capital of five million people.

“We’re just about there,” Colonel Will Grimsley of the US 3rd Infantry Division told Reuters correspondent Luke Baker when asked if US forces had completely encircled the city.

As if to emphasize the point, the first US military aircraft, a C-130, landed at Baghdad’s international airport about one hour after nightfall, the first plane to land since US forces seized the facility early on Friday.

US military maps seen by Reuters showed only one main road, Highway 2, remained to be secured on the outskirts of the capital. It leads north to the oil city of Kirkuk.

“Look at it from this point of view — 1st Brigade holds the airport and the west of Baghdad, the 2nd Brigade is securing the south, the 3rd Brigade is holding the northwest and the Marines are in the northeast,” Col Grimsley said.

In the north, Kurdish fighters said they had captured the town of Ain Sifni, northeast of Iraq’s third city Mosul. Mortar and artillery fire thundered over Baghdad during the day.

“It is getting dangerous. The battle is in Baghdad now,” said Haitham Abdel-Rahman, 45, a mechanical engineer.

UN relief agencies warned of a health crisis facing Baghdad residents, with hospitals overwhelmed and infrastructure devastated.

“We expect a severe deterioration of the health situation during the days to come due to the daily bombardment that results in damage of infrastructure and sharp rise in civilian casualties,” Fadela Chaib, WHO spokesman, told reporters.

By night, a power cut plunged the city into darkness as the sound of heavy machineguns, multiple-rocket launchers and artillery ripped the air.

BATTLE FOR BRIDGE: US Marines battled for a road bridge over a tributary of the Tigris river in the city’s southeastern outskirts.

Reuters correspondent Matthew Green said Marines backed by artillery, tanks and attack helicopters were firing at Iraqi forces on the far side of the river. The bridge was damaged in the clash.

No toll for civilian casualties in Baghdad was available, but International Committee of the Red Cross spokesman Roland Huguenin-Benjamin told Reuters: “During fierce bombardment, hospitals received up to 100 casualties per hour.”

With many medical staff unable to reach hospitals due to the bombing, doctors were performing everything from surgery to taking blood, giving injections and ferrying the wounded.

“I’ve been a doctor for 25 years and this is the worst I’ve seen in terms of number of casualties and fatal wounds,” said Osama Saleh al-Duleimi, 48, who witnessed two previous wars.

US military casualties total 81 and Britain has lost 27 dead in the fighting. There is no estimate of Iraqi losses, but they are believed to be well into the thousands. Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf said forces loyal to Saddam continued to fight invading troops.

“The valiant Republican Guards are encircling the enemy near the airport. We destroyed six tanks and damaged 10 others and killed 50 of the enemies’ forces,” he said.

SHRINES: A group of Iranian theological students have called on Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to allow them to go to Iraq to safeguard shrines, a newspaper said on Sunday.—Reuters