Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WASHINGTON (AP) — "The Beast" is running wild on the streets in Iraq.
That is the nickname given an American-made, Iraqi-operated tank taking on Islamic State fighters in the western city of Hit.
A U.S. military spokesman, Col. Steve Warren, said Wednesday the U.S.-trained tank crew has been "tearing it up" in the city for several days, operating as a sort of one-tank wrecking crew.
In Warren's words, "The Beast" — officially an M1A1 Abrams tank — has been blasting away at roadside bombs, punching holes in Islamic State defenses and helping Iraqi counterterrorism forces regain control of the city.
Asked why just one tank was fighting, Warren said the Iraqis actually have two other American-made tanks in the city but they broke down.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
