IRAQ: U.S. helicopers kill one civillian and wound eight in rocket attack on Baghdad's Sadr City

Record ID: 338739

  • Title: IRAQ: U.S. helicopers kill one civillian and wound eight in rocket attack on Baghdad's Sadr City
  • Date: 6th May 2007
  • Summary: DAMAGED CARS AND PEOPLE NEARBY
  • Embargoed: 21st May 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Iraq
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: International Relations,Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVAE08WPA2CDF72XAX2MFWU8K4NX
  • Story Text: U.S. helicopers kill one civillian and wound eight in rocket attack on Sadr City, Baghdad's Shi'ite area where Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and his Mehdi Army militia command a huge following.
    One civilian was killed when a U.S. helicopters fired rockets at houses in Baghdad's Shi'ite bastion of Sadr City during a raid by U.S. forces early on Friday (May 4), police sources said.
    They said that at least eight people were wounded in the air strike, which happened at about 0300 (2300 GMT) and four houses were destroyed.
    "We were asleep when they (U.S. forces) hit us. We were frightened and we run there (points) and they started to fire at us, wounding one here (point to her feet). They hit us with rockets. Why? What did we do? They destroyed the house. Why? We did nothing. We are poor people and we were asleep," said eight-year old Ruqaya Jabbar, whose house was destroyed during the raid.
    The U.S. military could not be immediately reached for comment on the air strike.
    Sadr City is a predominantly Shi'ite area, where the firebrand Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and his Mehdi Army militia command a huge following.
    Since the launch of a security crackdown in Baghdad in February, US troops have gained a foothold in Sadr City, as most of the militia fighters have either disappeared or are lying low to avoid confrontation with troops.
    The US military accuses the Mahdi militia of carrying out brutal attacks on the Sunni Arabs of the capital as part of the sectarian bloodletting that has engulfed Iraq.
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