‘Hornet’s nest’ of anti-aircraft fire

IRAQI forces, with a hail of small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades, downed two Apache helicopters yesterday and forced 30 other helicopters in their brigade back to their base.

One two-member crew was later shown on Iraqi television, while the other crew was rescued. All 32 helicopters sustained some damage, occasionally slight, US army officials told the New York Times.

The attack on the helicopters surprised US army leaders and may cause them to adjust their military strategy which relied on the Apaches to destroy Iraq’s armoured divisions that ring Baghdad, said the Times.

A CNN correspondent accompanying the United States Army Fifth Corps 11th Attack Helicopter Regiment, said the unit had been on a night-time combat mission targeting units of the elite Republican Guard. The correspondent cited one pilots as saying they had run into a “hornet’s nest, a barrage of anti-aircraft fire,” near the city of Kerbala, 70 miles south-west of Baghdad.

The Apaches use a powerful radar, called the Longbow, that directs their Hellfire missiles. But the Apaches are suddenly coming under attack from relatively low-technology weaponry.

The Times said the US army may now may consider new tactics, such as additional close aerial bombardment to support the Apaches as they hunt for armoured divisions.

US Army General Tommy Franks had earlier confirmed two pilots were missing in action.

Iraqi state TV showed pictures of one helicopter in a grassy field and men in Arab head-dresses holding Kalashnikov rifles and dancing around the aircraft.

Iraqi state television also showed pictures of two helmets apparently belonging to members of the helicopter’s crew, as well as documents and other papers lying on the ground.

The helicopter shown on Iraqi TV yesterday did not appear to be damaged, suggesting it had been forced to land by mechanical problems rather than ground fire.

The new prisoners of war came only one day after Qatar-based satellite television al-Jazeera showed video images of five American prisoners of war captured in fighting near the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriya.

“Yesterday was a black day and the black days will increase,” Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf said.