greybeard
04-05-03, 01:39 AM
According to a live release from CENTCOM a few minutes ago, troops from the 3rd id and the Marines have both been to or near the center of Baghdad, meeting little resistance.
Staff and agencies
Saturday April 5, 2003
Coalition troops were near the centre of Baghdad in "substantial" numbers today, a US central command spokesman said, after 30 pieces of US armour were reported to have crossed the city limits for the first time.
"As of this morning, coalition forces are actually in the city of Baghdad," said Navy Captain Frank Thorp. "As we moved into the city, we saw sporadic fighting. We've actually moved through the Republican Guard divisions to pretty much the centre of the city."
Capt Thorp said he could not detail specifics of the operations but added: "We have substantial forces now moving into the city." Another US military spokeswoman said earlier that US troops on the city edges were fighting to impose a "choke hold" on Baghdad.
Just before 0600 (BST) today, reports broke that elements of the US army's 3rd Division conducted brief incursions into the south side of the city's outer edges. Some of the units then left the city to move farther south to conduct search and destroy missions against Republican Guard forces.
The news agency Reuters reported that 20 Abrams battle tanks and 10 Bradley fighting vehicles entered the Baghdad suburb of Dawra from the main southern highway, around 14km (seven to eight miles) from the city centre on a reconnaissance mission.
Staff and agencies
Saturday April 5, 2003
Coalition troops were near the centre of Baghdad in "substantial" numbers today, a US central command spokesman said, after 30 pieces of US armour were reported to have crossed the city limits for the first time.
"As of this morning, coalition forces are actually in the city of Baghdad," said Navy Captain Frank Thorp. "As we moved into the city, we saw sporadic fighting. We've actually moved through the Republican Guard divisions to pretty much the centre of the city."
Capt Thorp said he could not detail specifics of the operations but added: "We have substantial forces now moving into the city." Another US military spokeswoman said earlier that US troops on the city edges were fighting to impose a "choke hold" on Baghdad.
Just before 0600 (BST) today, reports broke that elements of the US army's 3rd Division conducted brief incursions into the south side of the city's outer edges. Some of the units then left the city to move farther south to conduct search and destroy missions against Republican Guard forces.
The news agency Reuters reported that 20 Abrams battle tanks and 10 Bradley fighting vehicles entered the Baghdad suburb of Dawra from the main southern highway, around 14km (seven to eight miles) from the city centre on a reconnaissance mission.