US military attacks insurgents
The US military has attacked militants near the Iraqi town of Najef, killing 43 people.
“Forty-three anti-coalition forces were killed near Najef and an anti-coalition anti-aircraft system was destroyed by an AC-130 gunship,” revealed a spokeswoman for the US military.
No more details were given of the attack, which took place last night – just hours after US troops had moved into a base being vacated by Spanish troops.
Meanwhile the US warned that the government set to take control of Iraq on July 1st will be forced to give up some of its powers to the coalition.
US secretary of state Colin Powell explained that it is important that the military would still operate under US command.
Violence continues in the Middle Eastern state – with heavy fighting in Falluja resulting in the deaths of one US soldier and eight Iraqi fighters yesterday.
There was also unrest reported in Kufa, outside the Shia holy city of Najef, as well as an explosion in Baghdad which killed two US soldiers.
In an interview with Reuters Mr Powell said: “I hope [the new Iraqi government] will understand that in order for this government to get up and running – to be effective – some of its sovereignty will have to be given back, if I can put it that way, or limited by them.”
However, in an interview with the Associated Press Massoud Barzani, the current head of the US-backed Iraqi Governing Council, said that the US is behaving like “an army of occupation”.
