Fighting street by street, U.S. Army troops punched their way into Hindiya and battled Iraqi forces over a bridge across the Euphrates on Monday. The Americans captured several dozen Iraqis who identified themselves as members of Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard.
"Hi, I'm Abdul, and this is Mahmoud, this is Achmed, this is Faisal, and this is Ibrahim. We're from the Republican Guard. Nice to meet you. Please don't kill us!"
The prisoners told the Americans they belonged to the guard's Nebuchadnezzar Brigade (sic), based in Saddam's home area of Tikrit, and they had the guard's triangular insignia. The dawn assault on the key river crossing is the closest known point in the U.S.-led advance on Baghdad. At least 15 Iraqi troops were killed in the fighting in Hindiyah, located 50 miles south of Baghdad between the sacred city of Karbala and the ruins of ancient Babylon. The 4th Batallion of the 64th armored regiment rolled in to the town of 80,000 at dawn - met quickly by small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades from Iraqis hiding behind hedges and brick walls. On the south side of the 200-yard concrete and steel bridge across the dark-green Euphrates, the soldiers took up positions in abandoned bunkers and sandbags and traded fire with Iraqis on the other side. A dark blue car attempted to race across the bridge toward U.S. forces but it was hit with heavy machine gun fire, which stopped it in the middle. Iraqi forces dressed in civilian clothes with blue or red kaffiyahs wrapped around their heads and faces scrambed between buildings, trying to sneak up on US troops on the city side of the bridge. The ground shook as mortars landed, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air. As the Americans began the cross the bridge, Iraqi troops tried to block it with civilian cars.
Doesn't sound like we're pausing, does it? Good going guys, and stay safe. |