Anglo American said yesterday it planned to sell its iron ore, coal and nickel units as part of a sweeping strategic overhaul to cope with a commodities rout that has triggered a fight for survival, even among heavyweight miners. The new measures are a dramatic escalation of the company's rescue plan outlined in December.The latest action came just a day after ratings agency Moody's downgraded Anglo further into "junk" territory, citing expected lower commodity prices and doubts over how long it would take the company to pay down debt.The world's fifth-biggest mining group reduced its number of mines from 65 in 2013 to 45 today. It plans to end up with just 16 as it exits several sectors to focus entirely on platinum, copper and diamonds.It expects to shed 78000 jobs from a workforce of about 128000, mostly through asset sales.The announcement that Anglo would either sell down its stake in Kumba Iron Ore or demerge the asset in a process that would take until next year helped swing the JSE into negative territory.In London, Anglo shares fell 6%.Anglo owns about 70% of Kumba Iron Ore, Africa's biggest miner of the steel-making ingredient.The operation is valued at $4.6-billion (about R72-billion).Anglo wants to raise as much as $4-billion from the sale of assets this year to cut net debt to less than $10-billion.Losses doubled to $5.62-billion last year as commodity prices plunged, putting pressure on Anglo's balance sheet already weighed down by $12.9-billion debt."We are taking decisive action to sustainably improve our cash flows and materially reduce net debt, while focusing on our most competitive assets," said Anglo CE Mark Cutifani.Anglo and its rivals have been forced into drastic action by the global commodity rout. They are selling assets and slashing dividends and capital spending to preserve cash and reduce debt.However, analysts said it might be hard to find buyers for assets in the current circumstances."We suggested in May last year that Anglo should exit its iron-ore portfolio. Sadly it is now doing so in a considerably weaker commodity price environment," Investec said in a note.The Anglo statement mentioned that the costly and controversial Minas Rio iron-ore mine in Brazil would be kept in the group stable for the next three years. Anglogold calls in armyAngloGold Ashanti, the world's third-largest gold miner, called for Ghana's military to protect its Obuasi mine, which is being overrun by illegal miners.Military personnel withdrew from the area on February 2 after several attacks in the preceding days, allowing hundreds of unauthorised miners to storm the mine.An employee was killed amid the violence."AngloGold Ashanti Ghana remains deeply concerned about the prevailing conditions, with illegal miners continuing to enter the site," the company said yesterday."If allowed to continue unchecked, illegal mining taking place on parts of the concession and vandalism of property could threaten the long-term viability of the mine."The Ghanaian government has agreed to send officials to assess the situation.The producer in the meantime has urged authorities to protect the area and said the army has an agreement with the Chamber of Mines, which represents companies, to deploy soldiers at mining operations.The company fired workers and suspended underground mining at the end of 2014 as costs soared and the price of bullion fell.It is seeking a joint-venture partner to invest in and help gain access to the estimated 5.3million ounces of high-grade gold deposit. ..