Occupation ends Falujja truce, bombards the city by planes
Iraq-USA, Politics, 4/14/2004

The American occupation forces violated the cease fire in al-Falluja and started bombarding it by planes after the tanks withdrew because of the fierce resistance.

Earlier news reports in Falujja said that the American tanks entered Nazzal quarters in the city and clashed with the citizens and resistance groups and two American armored vehicles were seen burning.

Falujja citizens said the tanks artillery bombarded several areas in the city and one of the shells fell at a teachers institute in al-Andalus quarters.

The reports said that several artillery shells fell also near al-Badil hospital in the downtown of Falujja at the time when F-16 planes were flying in the skies of the city.

Scores of Iraqi resistance men were seen heading for Naszzal quarters to stop the occupation forces while the Americans are facing fierce resistance in other parts of the city.

Meantime, news reports said that one American helicopter was downed near al-Falujja city near Zawba' village to the east of the city during fierce fighting between the resistance and the occupation forces in the area.

The occupation forces failed to restore back the remains of the crashed plane which was totally destroyed and this forced these forces to retreat. One American military spokesman admitted that three members of the crew were injured in the incident.

Outside the city of al-Falujja, the Iraqi resistance escalated their operations. A spokesman for the occupation army said that one American soldier was killed and another soldier and one contractor were injured in an attack against one American convoy. The spokesman said that the procession was in its way from Baqouba to al-Najaf and it was attacked on Monday evening by a bomb implanted on the roadside to the south of the capital Baghdad.

Moreover, one Iraqi was killed and one woman injured as they were exposed to fire after one American military patrol was attacked by unidentified gunmen in al-Mushahedah area in Baghdad. The American forces broke into the region and inspected the houses individually, one by one in search of the attackers.

In a separate accident, unidentified gunmen targeted by missiles yesterday morning one fuel tank for the occupation forces and this resulted in setting it ablaze. No news were reported on casualties.

Before the fierce resistance operations, the commander of the American central force gen. John Abizaid said that he had asked for sending more American forces to Iraq.

The escalation of resistance coincided with the continued confrontations between the occupation and partisans of the Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sader. The American occupation forces released Hazem al-Araji, one of al-Sader's main aides after he was held for several hours in Palestine hotel in Baghdad upon attending a conference for Iraq's tribes.

In al-Najaf, American planes flew in the skies of the city, while the Iraqi police started to restore its positions in several police centers.

Previous Stories:
  Some 700 Iraqis killed, 1250 wounded in Falouja only in one week, Syria and Iran are accused of works that does not help stability   (4/13/2004)
  Several Marines injured, one Apache downed west Baghdad. A fragile truce, Kerbalaa weeps al-Hussein, chanted for resistance   (4/12/2004)
  Holding hostages in Iraq escalates pressure on the coalition   (4/12/2004)

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