Abu Gharib attack wounds 56

Abu Gharib attack wounds 56
The Independent

BAGHDAD, April 3. — Heavily armed insurgents launched an audacious attack on the notorious Abu Gharib prison in Iraq, wounding 44 American soldiers and 12 prisoners, the US military said today.

The night-time raid, later claimed by the self proclaimed Al-Qaida wing in Iraq, targeted an outbuilding with two suicide car bombs and followed up with a further explosion, small arms fire and grenades in an hour-long fire fight.

In a statement, posted on a website that regularly carries extremist Islamic material, it was claimed “snipers” fired more than 39 Katyusha rockets at US forces before militants detonated several suicide car bombs at the prison’s main gates.

“Columns of smoke were seen rising from the crusaders’ bases,” the statement said. “This battle is part of a series of raids... which began yesterday across the land of Mesopotamia.” The group said it would provide a film of the attack soon.

It was believed to be the largest and most determined attack on Abu Gharib, a prison where more than 3,000 suspected insurgents are held in US detention and which was at the centre of a prisoner abuse scandal last year.

A spokesman said the fighting kicked off at 7 p.m. yesterday as the sun began to set when a car bomb exploded at the prison’s southeast corner, followed by rocket-propelled grenades, small arms and mortar fire, the spokesman said. “Some of the fire was from nearby buildings.” A second car bomb went off soon after somewhere on the prison’s northern side, as the insurgents pressed their assault, he added.

US soldiers returned fire with automatic weapons and 50 millimetre calibre shells, while three Apache attack helicopters were deployed overhead but did not open fire, he said. At least one insurgent was killed, he added. Six US soldiers and one detainee were take out to other medical facilities, with one of them flown to Germany. US troops had been on high alert for a rebel offensive.