IRAQ: HEAVY DAMAGE TO CAPITAL AFTER THIRD ROUND OF AIR STRIKES

(19 Dec 1998) Natural Sound

A third round of airstrikes against Iraq is over, and Baghdad residents are reporting heavy damage to the capital.

There is still no official word about the number of people wounded in the latest U-S British air raids however.

Iraqi officials have said 25 people were killed and 75 more wounded during the first two rounds of attacks.

As Muslim's heeded the call to prayer before holy Ramadan, Baghdad was bracing for a third consecutive day of bombardment.

It came in the early hours of Saturday.

Thunderous blasts rocked Baghdad before dawn, with U-S and British forces pressing a punishing air offensive.

Fiery streaks from what appeared to be Tomahawk cruise missiles arcing across the sky and landing in giant fireballs.

Journalists were denied access to the targeted areas, but locals reported heavy damage.

The attack appeared to be the toughest yet against Baghdad since the U-S and British militaries began airstrikes early Thursday to punish Iraq for its obstruction of U-N weapons inspectors searching for evidence of weapons of mass destruction.

But on the streets, at the news stands, headlines blared Iraq's defiance.

"We will never compromise to U-S aggression" says this newspaper headline.

"God is greater than America. We will never bow," another vows.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)
"This is unfair and unjust. America has no justification to strike us."
SUPER CAPTION: VOX POP

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)
"Our children are frightened from the bombing but we shall defeat them."
SUPER CAPTION: VOX POP

Before today's attack, the United States fired nearly 300 Tomahawk cruise missiles from ships in the Gulf or from B-52 bomber aircraft.

The missiles carry warheads weighing up to 3,000 pounds.

On Thursday, Iraq said 25 people were killed and 75 injured in the first two nights of attacks.

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