LONDON Ñ Iraq's military is said to have sustained a major attack by Iranian-backed insurgents.

The Iranian-backed Islamic National Forces said it fired six Katyusha 105 mm rockets toward a military base near the city of Jalula. They said the rocket salvo destroyed the Iraqi position and killed or wounded dozens of Iraqi soldiers.

The Shi'ite insurgency group issued the claim on Monday. The group said at least five Iraqi soldiers were killed. The Iraqi Shi'ite opposition is regarded as the most effective against the Saddam regime.

It was the first claim this year of a Katyusha attack by Iraqi opposition forces against the military of President Saddam Hussein. In April, Iranian military forces launched a rocket attack against the Baghdad-based Mujahadeen Khalq in eastern Iraq.

Iraqi officials did not confirm the assertion by the Teheran-backed opposition. But officials have accused Iran of increasing support to the insurgency against the Saddam regime.

On Wednesday, Saddam said Iraq's military capabilities have increased over the last year. He warned of an imminent war with the United States.

Earlier, the U.S.-supported Iraqi National Congress launched radio broadcasts inside Iraq. The INC has so far received only non-lethal training.

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