Ramblings' Journal

Operation Phantom Fury now underway in Fallujah

Reporters are embedded with US military forces as they begin their assault on Fallujah, Iraq. CNN's Jane Arraf says that forces cut power to the city prior to the assault.

Military officials told Arraf that the Army had achieved one of its initial goals -- clearing a path through insurgent defenses in the northern part of the city. Insurgents had set up strings of homemade bombs capable of causing heavy damage.

U.S. forces destroyed the booby traps, triggering explosions and fire.

CNN's Karl Penhaul said tracer fire was lighting the night sky, and that barrages were nearly constant.

CNN's Karl Penhaul, embedded with Marines on the outskirts of the city, reported hearing an almost constant barrage of explosions and machine gun fire and said that tracer fire was lighting the night sky. Insurgents could be heard chanting in Arabic: "God is great."

Before the announcement, Falluja was pummeled for hours by airstrikes aimed at destroying suspected safe houses and other insurgent strongholds.

FNC's Greg Palkot, embedded with the US Marines, said that targets were "being pounded" on Monday.

FOX News' Greg Palkot, embedded with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, said Monday that the unit was overlooking the northwest corner of Fallujah, where a series of tanks had been pounding positions inside the city for two hours. Ground commanders targeted three areas they believe guerrillas are operating and it looked as if preparations were being made for full-scale ground assault in the near future, Palkot reported.

Thousands of American troops are involved in the operation, designed to bring peace to Fallujah, and to remove the vast majority of insurgents and terrorists who are constantly making Iraq a dangerous place to be.

Posted by mhking at November 8, 2004 02:27 PM