US soldiers search residents at a checkpoint in the suburbs of Tal Afar

By Mazen Ghazi, IOL Correspondent

BAGHDAD, September 19 (IslamOnline.net) – After a week-long US bombing of the city, thousands of the residents of the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar to see destruction everywhere, dozens killed under the debris of their homes, hundreds arrested by the US occupation forces.

“The returnees stood speechless as they saw the mind-boggling damage and havoc wrought by the US bombardment and air strikes,” a resident told IslamOnline.net Saturday, September 18, on condition of anonymity.

He said destruction has hit every nook and cranny in the onetime picturesque city.

“The US bombing left hundreds of houses fully or partially destroyed, and many cars burnt and others damaged.

“All such views have welcomed the returning resident, who had had run for their lives in the wake of the US onslaughts,” he added.

The US occupation forces along with the Iraqi guardsmen have launched a sweeping military offensive into the city, near the Syrian borders under claims of combating what “infiltration” of foreign fighters through the Syrian-Iraqi borders into the country.

Hundreds of civilians had been killed and injured, while thousands others had become homeless.

Excessive Force

Other inhabitants said the US forces had used excessive force to flatten the city.

“The city was hit by highly destructive bombs, which deafened the entire city,”  Thaer Ezzul Din, another resident, told IOL.

“The bombing left many people killed and injured and dozens of buildings and houses destroyed in many areas including Al-Mathni district near Abu Musab Omir mosque.”

He said the inhabitants of the city had started to search for their missing relatives, who might be killed under the debris of their houses.

“As we keep desperately searching for survivors, hundreds others are still in US detention camps.”

Stationing Around

Other residents said the US forces are still taking positions around the city and have set up several checkpoints.

“The US soldiers have encircled the city with barbed wire and search all returnees,” Hassan Al-Obeidi told IOL.

Obeidi denied the US allegations that foreign fighters were taking refuge in the city.

“No foreign fighters are among the resistance men in the city. They are enthusiastic young men who strongly believe in their case.”

“The US forces have provoked them by staging night patrols and randomly arrest people from many areas in the city. As a result, they targeted the occupation soldiers and had already at least killed three of them and downed a US military copter.”

"What do you expect from people seeing their city struck by warplanes and heavy weapons?”

Condemnation

The American bombing of the city and practices of the occupation forces in the city had drawn rebukes from several Iraqi, Arab and international human rights groups.

The Islamic organization for human rights in Mosul condemned the random use of force by the US forces against Iraqi civilians which caused heavy human and financial losses.

The organization also slammed in a statement, a copy of which was sent to IOL, the US night raids and random detentions and abuses against disarmed Iraqi civilians.

The US strikes, particularly on the restive Iraqi city of Fallujah , also drew flack from Amnesty International human rights group, which called for an inquiry into the killing of hundreds of Iraqi civilians.

Amnesty said in a press release published Friday, September 17, the circumstances in which the victims had fallen may have violated international law.

The bombing of the Turkomans-dominated Tal Afar was also to pit Turkey against Washington as Ankara had threatened on September 14 to end its cooperation with the US if the US forces pressed ahead with its offensive.