"Iraqi
President Saddam Hussein has sent about 1,000 reinforcements from his
Baath Party, the Fedayeen, and his Al-Quds militia to Najaf, As Sanawa
and Nasariyah," he said.
Many
of the men were under siege in an-Najaf as U.S. troops had encircled the
city "since last night", he said.
“An
estimated 650 Iraqis were killed over the last 24 hours in the Najaf
area," said Major John Altman, intelligence officer of the
occupation Third Infantry Division's First Brigade.
About
200 of the Iraqi deaths were reported around a “suspected” chemical
weapons factory, Altman said, adding that about 300 Iraqis were taken
prisoner and another 100 fled, some to take up positions as snipers.
He
said the dead included Fedayeen and fighters of Saddam's ruling Baath
Party who battled with Kalashnikov rifles and rocket-propelled grenades
(RPGs) against U.S. Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles.
A
Pentagon official said a U.S. tank was disabled by grenade fire in the
fighting and two other vehicles of the occupation U.S. Army's 7th
Cavalry Regiment were damaged.
Remarkable
Courage
The
sheer courage of the Iraqi reinforcements impressed the U.S. troops, who
did not expect them to put up such a fight, occupation officer Maj Gen
Blount said.
"They
are fighting very tenaciously and constantly attacking U.S.
forces," he added.
"It
has cost us a couple of days on our timeline," he said.
As
the U.S.-led effort to remove Saddam Hussein wound up its first week,
both sides geared for what could be an epic tank battle on the western
approaches to Baghdad, with an elite armoured division of the Republican
Guard lying in wait for the advancing infantry.
Field
reports suggested that at least two columns of marines were converging
on the city of Kut, about 150 kilometres (90 miles) southeast of Baghdad
to take on a Republican Guard division.
One
formation of marines ran into Iraqi fire, prompting a call for a
helicopter gunship attack that left 20 to 25 Iraqis dead, correspondents
travelling with them said.
Iraqi
Information Minister Mohammed Said al-Sahhaf said Wednesday that more
than 500 civilians were wounded and 200 homes destroyed in U.S. and
British bombardment of Nasiriyah.
The
Human Cost Of The U.S.-Led War In Iraq
The
AFP drew up a breakdown of casualty figures given by various sources as
the war enters its second week.
Iraq
According
to official media and government:
Civilians
- 132 dead and 537 wounded
Military
- Seven dead
Others
- Five Syrian, four Jordanian civilians killed in missile strikes in
northern Iraq
Baghdad
hospital sources say close to 1,000 wounded
According
to U.S. Army:
Military:
Around 1,000 killed in Najaf battle
Media
travelling with coalition: more than 100 Iraqi bodies seen on road north
of Nasiriyah and 20-25 near Kut.
U.S.
According
to U.S. military:
14
killed in action
Five
killed in helicopter accidents
Two
killed by fellow soldier
Two
killed in road accidents
One
killed in weapon mishap
According
to Iraq:
25
British/U.S. troops killed in Nasariyah.
Britain
According
to British military:
Two
killed in action
14
in helicopter accidents
Two
aircrew, two tank crew killed in "friendly fire."
Kurdish
officials:
Around
60 killed in U.S. air strikes on Islamic groups.
Media:
Australian
cameraman killed in Kurdistan
British
television reporter killed, two missing near Umm Qasr.
