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Iraqi bodies litter plain
23/03/2003 19:43 - (SA)
Luke Baker
Near Najaf, Iraq - Burnt out vehicles and incinerated bodies littered a plain in central Iraq on Sunday after US forces overwhelmed Iraqi militia fighters in a battle south of the holy city of Najaf.
US armoured infantry and tanks took control of the plain in the early hours of Sunday after a battle of more than seven hours against Iraqi forces who were armed with machineguns mounted on the back of Japanese pick-up trucks.
Najaf lies just 160km south of Baghdad.
On the main road running across the plain, burnt out Iraqi vehicles were still smouldering on Sunday afternoon, and charred ribs were the only recognisable part of three melted bodies in a destroyed car lying in the roadside dust.
"It wasn't even a fair fight. I don't know why they don't just surrender," said Colonel Mark Hildenbrand, commander of the 937th Engineer Group.
"When you're playing soccer at home, 3-2 is a fair score, but here it's more like 119-0," he said, adding that the Iraqi sport utility vehicles (SUVs) stood no chance against tanks.
"You can't put an SUV with a machine gun up against an M1 tank - it's heinous for the SUV," Hildenbrand said. US forces advance towards Baghdad
The fighting began late on Saturday as forces from the US 3rd Infantry Division pushed on with their swift drive north towards Baghdad.
Iraqi bodies shot as they lay in sniper positions by the side of the road suggested the militiamen were hoping to ambush US forces moving across the plain, a strategic area on the west bank of the Euphrates river.
Forward US reconnaissance units took some initial fire from the militia before armoured infantry, tanks, artillery and combined air support were called in.
"The tanks took out all the militia vehicles and then infantry cleared the area slowly and steadily on foot," said Lieutenant-Colonel Bernie Lindstrom of the 937th, who was in the area during the fighting.
"The booms and bangs began at about 20:00 (SA time on Saturday) and the area wasn't totally secured until about four or five o'clock this morning. It was hectic for a while." Guerrilla-type force
Hildenbrand said Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was trying to use the militia as a guerrilla-type force. But the militiamen appeared hopelessly ill-prepared to deal with the sheer firepower that the US military can throw at them.
Dead soldiers shown to reporters were not wearing any standard uniform and had only open-toed sandals on their feet. Helmets lying near their bodies were made of plastic, not kevlar.
The only common item appeared to be a black beret with an eagle and standard badge at the front.
A desert hideout Hildenbrand said had been used by a militiaman in recent days showed the hardship many ordinary Iraqi soldiers face.
The soldier had only a filthy blanket to protect him from the cold desert nights, and for food he had only a plastic bag full of raw meat. When he fled, he left behind a picture of his two children.
"I feel nothing but sorrow for these people," Hildenbrand said as he toured the hideout. "This war is against one man, it's not against the Iraqi people. I just wish they would surrender so we could get it over with."
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