Fallujah becomes 'like hell'

2004-11-09 07:54

Fallujah - The skies over Fallujah lit up from the flashes of air and artillery barrages as United States troops launched an offensive to seize key insurgent strongholds in a city that became the major sanctuary for Islamic extremists who fought marines to a standstill last April.

A US military spokesperson estimated that 42 insurgents were killed across the city in bombardment and skirmishes before the main assault began on Monday. Two marines were killed when their bulldozer flipped over into the Euphrates near Fallujah.

US troops cut off electricity to the city, and most private generators were not working - either because their owners wanted to conserve fuel or the wires had been damaged by explosions.

Residents said they were without running water and were worried about food shortages because most shops in the city have been closed for the past two days.

Cautious estimates

As night fell a civilian living in the centre of Fallujah said hundreds of houses had been destroyed.

"Every minute, hundreds of bombs and shells are exploding," Fadril al-Badrani said in an interview. "The north of the city is in flames. I can also see fire and smoke ... Fallujah has become like hell."

The top US commander in Iraq, General George Casey, predicted a "major confrontation" in the operation he said was called "al-Fajr," Arabic for "dawn." He told reporters in Washington that 10 000 to 15 000 US troops along with a smaller number of Iraqi forces were encircling the city.

Overall, the main force did not appear to have moved deeply into Fallujah on Monday, the first full day of the operation. Most US units appeared to be lined up at the edge of their neighbourhoods with some scouts and perhaps special operators venturing inside.

"One part of the country cannot remain under the rule of assassins ... and the remnants of Saddam Hussein's regime," Defence Secretary Donald H Rumsfeld said.

A doctor at a clinic in Fallujah, Mohammed Amer, reported 12 people were killed. Seventeen others, including a five-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy, were wounded, he said.

Most residents have fled

About 3 000 insurgents were barricaded in Fallujah, US commanders have estimated. Casey said some insurgents slipped away but others "have moved in." US military officials believe 20% of Fallujah's fighters are foreigners, who are believed to be followers of Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Casey said 50 to 70% of the city's 200 000 residents have fled. US troops have been joined by 2 000 to 4 000 Iraqi troops.

US commanders have avoided any public estimate on how long it may take to capture Fallujah, where insurgents fought the marines to a standstill last April in a three-week siege.

Contributing to this report were Associated Press correspondents Edward Harris in Fallujah; and Tini Tran, Mariam Fam, Katarina Kratovac and Maggie Michael in Baghdad. - AP

- SAPA