Iraqi Militia Seizes 2 Tanks, Grounds Warplane

Iraqi Information Minister Muhammed Saeed al-Sahhaf told a news conference in Baghdad on Wednesday Iraqi militia units had seized two tanks and grounded one warplane of the US-UK invasion force in the south of the country, Dubai-based al-Arabia network reported. The minister identified the scene as Qadisiya, a southern Iraq area north of Nassiriya.

Sahaf announced the Iraqi government meant to make public photos of the captured and wrecked hardware. Separately, Sahaf insisted Iraq's only deepwater port of Umm Qasr remained in Iraqi hands.

He said Iraqi regular troops and militia units were able to halt columns of coalition troops pushing toward Baghdad on Tuesday.