US army shells resistance pockets in northern Iraq

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

http://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/breakingnews/view.asp?msgID=3889

KIRKUK, Iraq (AFP) - US troops bombarded Saturday night pockets of resistance outside the northern oil city of Kirkuk, just hours after US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld paid a visit, Iraqi police said. "The Americans informed us that they are pounding resistance pockets some 20-30 kilometres (12-18 miles) to the south and west with medium and heavy shells," lieutenant Nabil Hassan Khalaf told AFP. He said the fire was concentrated on agricultural land where arms caches have been found recently.


Khalaf's unit patrols the entrance to Kirkuk airport. The boom of the shelling could be heard clearly from the city with 30 shells fired over a 45-minute period. A US army spokesman said no information would be provided about ongoing operations. A US army tanker lorry was ablaze at dusk on the road from Kirkuk to Tikrit, said police captain Arkan Mohammad Latif al-Ubeidi. The police chief at the town of Al-Rashad outside Kirkuk said he did not know if anyone had been hurt.

<snip>

Still shelling? While "major operations" are supposed to be over?

[Mikimouse]

1. You just never know about the resistance...

"He said the fire was concentrated on agricultural land where arms caches have been found recently."

Those darned guerilla date palms'll get ya every time; gotta make an example of 'em from time to time.

[htuttle]

3. So, they are shelling a farm field

:eyes:

[Barrett808]

2. "A US army tanker lorry was ablaze at dusk on the road from Kirkuk..."

"...to Tikrit."