Occupation forces kills many in al-Najaf, calm in Falluja
The American occupation forces committed an attack near al-Najaf that resulted in killing scores of civilians and destruction of houses, according to news reports in the city. The reports quoted citizens as saying that the occupation soldiers bombarded the area indiscriminately in order to terrify the resistance men and inflect greatest damages on them.
News were contradictory over the number of killings in the lines of the Iraqi resistance. While the invading forces said it killed 43 members of al-Mahdi army which belongs to the Shiite leader Kuqtada al-Sader in the clashes on Monday's evening, Iraqi medical sources said that number of killing was 28 in addition to 32 injured.
American jets fired missiles at an inspection point for al-Mahdi army on the outskirts of al-Koufa town, 10 Km to the northern East of al-Najaf.
The battles came after the American administrator of Iraq, Paul Bremer, on Monday warned Muqtada al-Sader to surrender himself to the judiciary and to desolve al-Mahdi army, otherwise the American forces will break into al-Najaf city.
Meantime, the Spanish forces left Najaf city yesterday to its main base in al-Dewaneyah and no details were given on the way of the withdrawal. But American military leaders said that American forces composed of 200 soldiers entered the city on Monday to cover the withdrawal of the Spanish forces and to be positioned in their base.
However, the escalation in al-Najaf was coincided with a cautious calm in Falluja. News reports in the besieged city said that the truce is valid as from Monday evening and there is a complete cease fire. It indicated that a joint American force with the Iraqi police was due Tuesday was postponed for security reasons to undetermined time.
The American forces closed again the eastern entrance of Falujja after it opened it for some time, during which certain Iraqi families were able to return back to the city. According to the agreement between representatives of Falluja citizens and the occupation forces, members of the Iraqi police ad the civil defense forces were deployed in the city.
Meantime, news reports in Waset governorate to the south of Baghdad said that one American helicopter fell to the north of al-Kout city after it crashed into one of electricity grid. The reports said that one American soldier was killed in the incident.