BAGHDAD, June 14: The US army pushed ahead on Saturday with major military operations against hostile forces in northern Iraq after a letter purportedly written by Saddam Hussein warned foreigners to get out.

As the biggest operation, dubbed Peninsula Strike, raged on, a senior oil ministry official said damage to the oil pipeline between Iraq and Turkey could be repaired in two days.

US forces would “continue the operation” launched on Sunday night “until we have restored peace and prosperity to the people of Iraq,” Major Daniel Barnett said at a camp near Dhuluiya, 60 kilometres north of Baghdad.

“We have been harassed by small arms fire ... and the purpose of our operation is to prevent the harassment from enemy factions in the area,” he said.—AFP