Dubai: Sporadic fighting was reported across Iraq a day after all of Saddam
Hussien's strongholds fell to US led forces, which concentrated on restoring order
and putting in place an interim administration on April 15 amidst fears that an
oppressive regime was being replaced by American occupation.
Day 27 in the war zone was relatively quiet. A commander of Iraqi Army's Anbar
sector, extending up to the Syrian border, leading 16,000 troops surrendered to the
US forces in the Western Iraqi desert.
"It's a quiet day on the military front. We continue consolidating," said an
official at the US Central Command headquarters based in Qatar adding that the Iraqi
Army was no longer an effective fighting force although there were still pockets of
resistance.
Order was gradually being restored to Iraqi cities after days of looting with joint
patrols doing the rounds of Baghdad. Iraqi people were reported to have led
demonstrations and rallies for restoration of power and water, which have been
disrupted for over a week.
In Tikrit, the hometown of Saddam Hussein, which fell on April 14, coalition forces
secured bridges and searched for Iraqi holdouts as looters ransacked government
buildings.
Focus shifted to setting up an interim administration with the US convening a
meeting of major Iraqi factions opposed to the toppled regime at an airbase outside
the Southern city of Nasiriya.
PTI
