IRAQ: A UNITED STATES SOLDIER FROM THE 4TH INFANTRY DIVISION HAS BEEN KILLED IN AN ATTACK ON A MILITARY BASE

Record ID: 338303

  • Title: IRAQ: A UNITED STATES SOLDIER FROM THE 4TH INFANTRY DIVISION HAS BEEN KILLED IN AN ATTACK ON A MILITARY BASE
  • Date: 1st August 2003
  • Summary: (U4) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (JULY 31, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV U.S. SOLDIERS NEAR TANK THAT WAS TARGETED BY THE ATTACK IN CENTRAL BAGHDAD'S HAIFA STREET; MV U.S. SOLDIER ON (TARGETED) TANK (4 SHOTS) 0.25 2. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) EYEWITNESS KAZEM SAHEB SAYING "The tank was attacked from behind and the attacker fled the area immediately." 0.42 3. AV U.S.
  • Embargoed: 16th August 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVACZSGGECL7K0NAT5CM47QVJQSL
  • Story Text: A U.S. soldier from the 4th Infantry Division has
    been killed in an attack on a military base east of the
    town of Baquba.

    A U.S. soldier was killed and three were wounded
    when their vehicle hit a landmine on the road to the
    American base at Baghdad International Airport on Thursday
    (July 31, 2003), a military spokesman said.

    He said an armoured personnel carrier carrying soldiers
    from the 1st Armoured Division hit a landmine around
    midday.

    "The tank was attacked from behind and the attacker
    fled the area immediately," said Kazem Saheb who witnessed
    the attack.

    "We were surprised by the attack. We saw one tank
    fleeing, another hit and number of casualties in the area,"
    said another witness, Mohamed Hamzeh.

    In another incident that took place last night (30
    July), a U.S. soldier was killed and two others were
    wounded. The incident happened in Ba'quba, 40 kilometres
    northeast of Baghdad. U.S forces arrested four Iraqis who
    were also injured in the attack. They are now under
    investigation.

    The attack brings to 52 the number of U.S. soldiers
    killed in guerrilla attacks since Washington declared major
    combat over on May 1.

    Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, a spokesman for the
    coalition troops in Iraq, said that attackers are using
    increasingly sophisticated methods against his forces.

    "On improvised explosives trip wires are being used. The
    enemy is increasing the sophistication of those types of
    devices. They are using all types of ammunition from
    plastic explosive, mortar rounds and artillery, the
    spectrum."
    He also apologised for the killing of innocent
    civilians. "On the issue of the innocent civilians that
    were killed and injured in that raid we had established
    TCPs (traffic control points) the soldiers made a judgment
    that vehicle was trying to run the control point, that was
    when they opened fire and people were killed. We regret
    that and we are working through those tactics," said
    Sanchez.


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