[The following translation of the iraqwar.ru report has
been kindly provided by "Necroman". You can find the original
report in Russian as well as this translation on the iraqwar.ru site. Venik]
April 7, 2003, 2400hrs MSK (GMT +4 DST), Moscow
(UPDATE) - By this evening the situation on
the US-Iraqi front in the environs of Baghdad has become
less tense. All the American units have returned to their
initial positions corresponding to the morning of April
7th. Currently artillery and aviation occasionally open
fire at the city. The details of today’s raid of
the 1st tank brigade of the 3rd Mechanized Division column
to the central district of Baghdad are now available.
Radio surveillance data allow us to contend that it was
a joint action of the American Special Forces and the
army command. Having penetrated into Baghdad a few days
before the commandos after reconnaissance concentrated
near several government buildings and got ready for a
storm.
At the same time from the Khan-Azad region towards Al-Rashid
along the Kadissiya roadway advanced a mechanized unit
of the 3rd Division consisting of one tank battalion and
one motorized infantry battalion (up to 70 tanks and 60
armored personnel carriers). No sooner had the column reached
the outskirts of the city, at the rear of the Iraqis the
commandos started to storm the target objects – two
government buildings and the building of the Ministry of
Information, the waiting room of the Security Service and
the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iraq.
The main objective was to find an entrance to the government
underground shelter system and capture high-ranking Iraqi
officials. Without combat the commandos were able to seize
the Al-Shihud palace and the Republican palace, which were
guarded by small patrols only. The palaces turned out empty,
and their examination did not reveal any underground shelters.
Soon after the palaces had been captured a column of the
1st brigade moved into this region and stood guard over.
But when attempting to storm the government offices the
commandos were sighted, blocked and engaged by the guardians.
In order to help the commandos a mixed battalion group
that had managed to break to the quay of the Tigris moved
forward but was stopped by an anti-tank artillery barrage
and got ambushed by RPG soldiers. During that almost two-hour
battle the Americans lost up to 5 APC and 2 tanks. At least
8 solders were killed and more than 20 wounded. By 3pm
the remains of the commando assault groups forced their
way to the American positions and at 15:30 their common
withdrawal began. At 5pm the American troops left the city.
The exact casualties of the American Special Forces remain
unclear. According to communications between American commanders
the status of least 15 men is unknown. Whether they are
dead, captured or hiding in the city is still obscure.
It was reported that the commandos captured a high officer
but during the rush he was killed and left in the city.
The American command criticized the raid. General Tommy
Franks who came to the airport region called the level
of the casualties during this local operation “unacceptable” and
the results “paltry”. Yet it was noted that
the Iraqi command reacted on bringing the forces into Baghdad “with
an inexplicable delay” and the actions of the counter-attacking
Iraqi units “uncoordinated”. American commanders
believe that it happened due to “severe malfunction
of the whole communication and control system”. It
is still unclear what damaged Iraqi communications. According
to some data most of the high command left the city after
it had been blocked and moved to a reserve command center
located in the northern regions of Iraq while the local
command remaining in the city has not taken control over
the situation yet.
Some officers in the coalition HQ presume that if this
is the case then even storming Baghdad will not finish
this war and a “campaign to the north”, where
quite an effective and large group of Iraqi troops remains,
might be necessary.
During this day the British forces of the 7th armored
brigade and the 3rd marine brigade have been assaulting
Basra. After a nine-hour battle the British have managed
to occupy the districts of the “New Basra” Subhay
and Ahavat-Rezan and advanced into the “Old Basra” towards
the Presidential residence, but still cannot take control
of the old districts. The Al-Ashar and Akina regions as
well as a part of the Al-Arab quay remain in Iraqi hands
and the British command admits that it will be very difficult
to occupy them since armored units cannot move down narrow
streets.
The total losses of the British in this region amount to
at least 7 killed and 15 wounded. A tank and 2 APC were
destroyed. The Iraqis lost up to 100 men killed, about
50 captured, 3 tanks and 6 guns. The British estimate the
number of defenders in the old districts to be 500 Iraqi
militiamen and soldiers of the 51st Infantry Division supported
by at least 10 tanks, 12 guns and a lot of portable antitank
launchers.
This morning the coalition troops captured Karbala. According
to its citizens most of the Iraqi units that were defendeding
the town during the evening-night of April 6th left it
and moved north. Just a few home guard units remaining
in the town ceased their resistance and mixed with the
local population. A captured RG officer said that the order
to leave the town was received in the morning of April
6th personally from Saddam Hussein after the general HQ
obtained information about the American artillery barrage
that resulted in a few shells dropped near one of the main
Moslem sacred places, the grave of Hussein ibn-Ali. So
as not to insult the Shia population of Karbala by the
possible destruction of the sacred place the order to leave
the town was issued. Currently the Americans are trying
to reveal and “clean off” “Saddam’s
agents”.
Reports about taking over the Al-Khindiya town after the
ten-day storm are also coming. The town of 30 thousand
people was in turn assaulted by an Expeditionary Marine
unit and later a brigade of the 101st Airborne Division.
After occupation of the town and interrogation of captives
it was discovered that the whole garrison of Al-Khindiya
consisted of 3 RG companies and 1 militia squadron, about
500 soldiers altogether. More than 200 defenders of the
town were killed, about 100 captured. In battles of Al-Khindiya
the Americans lost up to 15 men killed, at least 40 wounded.
10 armored vehicles were destroyed. By evidence of a “Red
Crescent” representative who came there yesterday,
even seriously wounded soldiers incapable of walking were
taken to the prisoner-of-war camp. Arrests of citizens
suspected in resistance are now taking place in the town.
An-Nasiriya, An-Najaf, Al-Kut, Ad-Divaniya and some more
small towns on the south of Iraq remain under Iraqis’ control.
Only yesterday the Americans lost up to 5 armored vehicles,
at least 3 men killed and 10 wounded. Today near An-Nasiriya
a rear American column got ambushed. The casualties are
unknown so far, but judging from the immediate takeoff
of aviation cover and helicopters with an airborne unblocking
group the battle is not in favor of the column.
All the information the Russian side has about the fire
opened at the Russian embassy column indicate that shooting
at the diplomats and journalists was not an accidental
event but rather a planned action of frightening and retribution.
This version is also supposed by several today’s
attempts of Americans to stop the column on its route and
carefully examine the diplomats’ cars and accompanied
baggage. The Russian Foreign Ministry and the high-ranking
officials keep silent. On the meeting of the President
of Russia Vladimir Putin and the National Security Advisor
Condoleezza Rice they agreed “to forget about this
regrettable indicent” and “prevent any impact
on the Russian-American partnership”…
(source: iraqwar.ru, 04-07-03, translated by Necroman)
