Iraqi forces fought U.S. troops overnight near the central Shi'ite city of Najaf as American bombs again shook Baghdad, briefly knocking out parts of the power grid.
Just as the call to dawn prayers was sounding in the Iraqi capital, one strong blast shook the city center.
Reuters reported that units of the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division clashed with Iraqi troops 70 km southeast of Najaf that held up the U.S. advance overnight.
U.S. officers said there was heavier fighting barring the way further upriver, close to Najaf itself, which is just 160 km south of the capital.
The Iraqi authorities also reported a battle in the desert near Najaf.
Iraq's ruling party said in a broadcast statement that U.S. forces had fled after a desert clash near the city, on the west bank of the Euphrates.
Speaking at about 3.00 a.m. from a point some 70 km southeast of Najaf, the reporter of Reuters said the U.S. unit he was with was held up but officers were confident of moving on toward the city where other U.S. units were meeting stiffer resistance.
U.S. commanders believe a division of Saddam's better-equipped Republican Guard was in place at Najaf.
The northern city of Mosul also came under attack from the air and U.S. forces said they had defeated Iraqi troops on the outskirts of the southern oil city of Basra and captured the town of Nassiriya 375 km southeast of Baghdad.
Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf said on television that Iraqi defenders were still fighting U.S. forces around Nassiriya on Sunday and had destroyed 16 U.S. tanks and armored vehicles. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
