Coalition warplanes have bombed many Iraqi military bases in Kirkuk and Mosul on Sunday and Monday.

One source said the Iraqi forces have started to abandon military barracks in the Chiman area, 15 kilometers from of Kirkuk.

Coalition aircraft had bombed Iraqi positions in Mosul and Kalak and bombed the barracks of 5th brigade of Iraqi army. The warplanes have also bombed Iraqi positions near Iraq-Iranian borders including the areas of Zirbatya, Badra, Jasan, Khanaqin and Jalawla as well as frontlines near the city of Kirkuk.

Military sources report air strikes by coalition warplanes on Iraqi military positions in Makhmur, Dibaga, Zurgazraw and Shamamik on March 26 to 28.

Twelve tanks and two anti-aircraft missiles were destroyed, and a Ba’athist political officer, Marwan Mohammed Al-Duri, was killed.

The Iraqi Army has withdrawn its heavy weaponry from the Zurgazraw and Dibaga border villages to western Qarachugh and Makhmur. The Iraqi army has redeployed the death squads of “Fidayeen Saddam” from Pirde town to Dubiz. They have been deployed west of Khalid military camp.

Early on March 28 the Iraqi artillery fired at several villages in the area including Sarmazar, Bestan and Kanibizna. Two mortar shells landed near the Salahadin University, college of arts. One of them exploded. Investigations are continuing to find where the shells were fired from. There was no damage.

Talabani Visits Hawraman
Sulaimani March 30 -- The PUK leader Jalal Talabani toured the Hawraman area Sunday and congratulated the Kurdish people and peshmerga forces on the victory inflicted on the Ansar al-Islam extremist group.

The peshmerga fighters, along with US Special Forces, launched ground attacks Friday and secured the area within 24 hours. 

Speaking to peshmerga fighters and commanders, Talabani said, “We are proud of the military cooperation between the PUK and other parties of the alliance.” 

He called on the Kurdistan peshmerga forces to be ready for the liberation of Iraq and reminded them to consider the human rights in battlefield.

During the operations against the Ansar Al-Islam group, as many as 250 terrorists were killed, including several Arab Afghans.