Insurgents stalk helicopters
2007-02-22 22:56
Washington - Insurgents are devising new tactics to sow chaos in Iraq, fielding specialised cells to shoot down helicopters and adding chlorine bombs to its arsenal, senior US military officials said on Thursday.
Insurgents have blown up trucks with tanks filled with chlorine twice this week, leaving scores of people sickened by toxic fumes in the latest twist on the daily mayhem in Iraq.
A raid on a big bomb-making factory near Fallujah on Tuesday uncovered chlorine tanks and fertilizer along with a pick-up truck and three cars being turned into bombs, they said.
"That's just another way they're trying to adapt to cause some sort of chaos here in country," said Lieutenant-General Raymond Odierno, the second ranking US commander in Iraq.
At the same time, Odierno said cells affiliated with al-Qaeda in Iraq were believed be stalking US helicopters, a vital cog in the US military machine.
Two or three of the eight helicopters that have been downed since January 20 appeared to have been ambushed, he said.
"We realise that effective use of helicopters is essential to operational success.
"And we are using all means at our disposal to protect our aircraft," Odierno said.