US Warplanes Strike Falluja

26/10/2004| IslamWeb

US forces have attacked a building in the Iraqi city of Falluja claiming to have killed one person they say is an associate of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of the al-Qaida-linked network in the country. In a statement, the US military said the "precision strike" had been carried out in north-west Falluja at 3am (0000 GMT) on Tuesday. "Multiple sources reported that a known associate of the Zarqawi network was present at the time of the strike," it said. Residents confirmed houses had been destroyed but said they were empty, as its owners had fled the city due to the continued US attacks. "As you can see, these houses belong to very poor and simple people. They left their houses because of the bombing that woke us up at 3am," said one witness. "We were asleep in peace. I don't know what they want to achieve by doing that. Is there mujahidin in this place? Is there al-Zarqawi in this place?" Hospital staff said they had not received any casualties. The US military said recent strikes had "severely degraded" the capability of al-Zarqawi's group and cited its recent declaration of loyalty to al-Qaida as a sign of weakness. Falluja's residents deny the existence of mujahidin led by al-Zarqawi in the city west of Baghdad and say civilians are the main casualties of US raids. Scores of civilians have been killed and several homes destroyed in the US missile strikes on the town. Al-Zarqawi's group changed its name last week to al-Qaida Organisation for Jihad in Iraq, reportedly saying in an internet statement that it had united with Usama bin Ladin's network. This could not be independently verified. The US has offered a $25-million reward for al-Zarqawi's capture or death. The US military and Iraq's interim government are widely believed to be preparing for a major offensive to bring Falluja back under state control before elections planned for January. **Clashes*** On Monday, armed fighters and US forces battled in the city, according to Iraqi residents. Witnesses said one civilian car was set ablaze during the clashes which lasted for 10 minutes. The owner of the car said no one was inside his vehicle during the attack. Residents said Al-Mathidi mosque was also damaged by shellfire during the clashes. One resident claimed the US opened fire first on the mosque as the faithful left after prayers. "The American tanks were passing by near the railway line in the afternoon. They opened fire on the mosque. The faithful had just left after the prayers and the shelling reached copies of the Quran inside the mosque," said Mahmud Shakir. There was no immediate comment by the US troops on the clashes. **Blasts*** At least 11 people were killed in a wave of explosions that ripped through Iraq on Monday. Attackers detonated a car laden with explosives as an Australian convoy passed down a residential district near Australia's embassy in Baghdad. The morning blast, close to a school, killed three Iraqis and wounded at least 16 others, including three Australian soldiers and four Iraqi children. Elsewhere in the capital three roadside bombs exploded in the path of US convoys, leaving one US soldier dead. Estonia lost its second soldier in Iraq, but the Baltic state vowed it would keep its tiny contingent in the troubled country. The Estonians were patrolling in western Baghdad when an improvised bomb exploded under one truck, killing a soldier and wounding five others, an army spokesman said. In Mosul, a double car bombing aimed at local authorities, killed three people and wounded four. And an Iraqi national guard was killed as he tried to disarm a bomb placed near an Iraqi National Guard post - to the north of Baquba. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Members of an Iraqi security force inspect the scene of a car bomb attack outside the office of Mosul city governor in northern Iraq, October 25, 2004. (Reuters)