The main highway west out of Baghdad is held by the Iraqi insurgents. They’ve destroyed a fuel convoy, killing nine people. Most news stories are reporting one US soldier dead in this incident so presumably the other 8 are Iraqi.
Hundreds of militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and Kalashnikov assault rifles were running along the highway or hiding in houses nearby, the correspondent said.
US troops were positioned on a bridge that links the old and new highway while insurgents controlled the stretch of highway between Abu Gharib and Fallujah further west.
Armed militants were also stationed outside Abu Gharib prison, an infamous jail under Saddam Hussein’s ousted regime which has been reopened by the US-led coalition.
“Thursday night there was a violent attack against the prison and the Americans left their positions,” one of the insurgents said who declined to be named.
“Around 55 prisoners managed to escape,” he added.
His claims could not be immediately confirmed from coalition sources.
In the distance a battle raged. Loud blasts and automatic weapons fire could be heard.
An AFP photographer reported earlier that fierce clashes pitted US troops against insurgents in Abu Gharib.
US tanks commanded the entrance to the town, 10km west of Baghdad, but insurgents armed with anti-tank rockets and Kalashnikov assault rifles were seen running through the streets.
Apparently the Americans haven’t tried to retake the highway. It is unclear at this time what the status of the prison at Abu Gharib is. There are reportedly thousands of prisoners, mostly Iraqi, held there. From the above report it appears that some have escaped. Reuters is running the above rather disturbing photographs. On the left two Iraqi boys are holding an American military uniform. On the right they are looting a flaming military vehicle.