Some 200 members of Iraq's ruling Baath party were killed in a
coalition attack at a gathering in the Basra region, US generals said
Saturday.

"It was an attack against a Baath party assembly northeast of Basra
yesterday (Friday) evening," Brigadier General Vincent Brooks, deputy
director of operations at US central command, told a daily briefing
here.

"It had about 200 members of the Baath party in attendance."

Brooks followed the remarks with footage showing a missile or bomb
dropped on the building, which appeared to be blown to smithereens.

Major General Victor Renuart told journalists it was thought that all
those in attendance had been killed.

"We believe ... about 200 leaders of these -- of these irregular
squads, and key leaders -- we believe were destroyed last night,"
Major General Victor Renuart said.

"Each time we make one of these attacks, we continue to degrade the
regime, we continue to degrade their capability. And in a very
systematic approach, we are moving nicely down the road."

British troops besieging Basra said Saturday the Baath party
apparatus in Basra was now their chief target.

"The targetting and eradication of the Baath party within Basra
province is now our primary focus and military main effort," Colonel
Chris Vernon told reporters in Kuwait City.

Vernon said that a senior unnamed Baath party official was now in
British custody and was being questioned.

British forces in Basra also destroyed two statues believed to have
been of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein on Saturday, Vernon added.
