Flooding Delays Iraq Campaigning

Northern Advocate, 26 May 1941, Page 6

Flooding Delays Iraq Campaigning

A communique issued by British headquarters in Cairo states that damage to roads from intensive flooding around Fallujah, in Iraq, has caused a temporary pause in operations in this area. Repairs are proceeding. Meanwhile the situation is quiet in the Basra area.

A Vichy message says it is reported from Bagdad that martial law has been proclaimed in the Bagdad and Kirkup areas.

An Iraqi petrol dump at Cassel’s Post, 12 miles from Bagdad, was bombed and machine-gunned, four large fires being started. The resultant column of smoke was over a mile high. The Mosul aerodrome was machinegunned by R.A.F. fighters, two enemy aircraft being destroyed and another damaged. German aircraft bombed and machine-gunned Habbaniyafi, causing some damage to buildings and slight casualties. From all these operations two British planes are missing. A Cairo message says Rashid Ali’s Defence and Finance Ministers have gone to Iran for conversations. The Regent of Iraq is reported to have said that he expected that a proclamation would shortly be dropped in Bagdad and other cities by air announcing his return and urging Iraqis to rally round him. When Iraqi troops recently learned that they were to fight the British, he added, they refused and returned to Bagdad. The Regent said that he had received many promises of support, and also expressions of loyalty by a number of well-known sheiks in southern Iraq.