US troops suffered "no casualties" in raid on Baghdad airport: officer

BAGHDAD AIRPORT (AFP) Apr 04, 2003
US forces suffered "no casualties" in a raid on Baghdad's Saddam International Airport in which they claim to have captured about a third of the facility, a man identified as their commander told CNN Friday morning.

The officer, who said he was from Task Force 27 of the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade, did not say how many casualties the Iraqi defenders may have suffered.

Witnesses reported Thursday that the airport had come under heavy artillery fire, leaving dozens killed and injured.

The US officer spoke of sending "signs to the residents of Baghdad that we're here and they can rise up and deal with the regime appropriately and save some future battles inside the city."

He did not comment on the extent to which the US forces may have advanced toward securing the entire airport, but an AFP correspondent on the ground said that heavy machine-gun fire could be heard at 7:30 am (0430 GMT).

The airport lies 20 kilometres (12 miles) southwest of Baghdad.

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