US digs in for key battle near shrine city of Kerbala

US FORCES in southern Iraq are braced for their biggest battle yet on the road to Baghdad – an expected clash near the Shi’ite holy city of Kerbala with elements of Iraq’s Republican Guard.

After two days of clashes with Iraqi forces as they followed the river Euphrates north toward the Iraqi capital, senior US commanders said they expected a possibly decisive battle near Kerbala, 70 miles from Baghdad, within 48 to 72 hours.

“Kerbala is shaping up to be a key battle,” said Lt Col Paul Grosskruger of the 94th Engineers’ Battalion, attached to the US 3rd Infantry Division. “It’s being reinforced and it’s fairly well defended.”

A full Iraqi brigade of around 6,000 men, including tanks, had taken up position around the city, US officers said. Some were from the Medina division of the elite Republican Guard and others were regular army troops. The Iraqi forces are split between the west and east banks of the Euphrates river.

Three brigades of the US 3rd Infantry Division, totalling some 15,000 men, are surging north toward Baghdad. Most of the first and second brigades are already up near Najaf, while the third has been tackling Iraqi resistance further south.

But the troops say they are running low on artillery shells and fuel and need more ammunition.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has spoken of a crucial moment when the US 3rd Infantry runs into the Republican Guard’s 2nd Medina Division near Kerbala.

Kerbala, a Shi’ite shrine city, is the site of a pivotal battle 1,400 years ago where Hussein, grandson of the prophet Mohammad, was overwhelmed and killed in a clash with a far larger and superior rival Muslim force.

US troops have repeatedly clashed with Iraqi forces in the area over the last two days.

US officers in the field said US 7th Cavalry tank units fought a sharp firefight with Iraqis on Wednesday near a bridge over the Euphrates river at Abu Sukhayr south-east of Najaf.

That followed a battle on Tuesday near Najaf in which Pentagon officials said 150 to 300 Iraqi forces were believed killed.

About 120 miles south- east of Najaf, near the city of Nasiriyah, other US units were still encountering stiff opposition as they forged a route to Baghdad, an Iraqi military spokesman said.

Spokesman Hazim al-Rawi told reporters that Iraqi commandos had raided an enemy column near Nasiriyah, destroying four armoured personnel carriers and killing those inside.

US Marines are clearing the road north of Nasiriyah to make way for a huge military convoy needed for the decisive battle for Baghdad.