The fierce battle continued past 10 o'clock.
The first to arrive was not the second air assault force dispatched by the 17th Armored Division, nor the 17313 Mechanized Infantry Battalion advancing on the south bank of the Euphrates, nor the 171st Armored Brigade and the 177th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, but an infantry company from the 7th Armored Division, rushing from Nuhayb.
This battle clearly demonstrated one issue: the morale of the Iraqi army had not yet deteriorated to the point of complete collapse.
Downstream at Sinafiye, the Iraqi army was already well-prepared.
According to prisoners of war, after the Alliance Army forced a crossing at the Euphrates in Samawa, Major General Hawani, defending Sinafiye, had drawn several infantry battalions to set up a tiered defense on the north bank downstream. To avoid detection by the Alliance Army, these units operated at night and dispersed immediately upon reaching the defensive zone.
