IRAQ: U.S. FORCES BOMB BAQUBA AFTER DAY OF INSURGENT ATTACKS, EIGHT CIVILIANS KILLED BY U.S. FIRE.

Record ID: 355619

  • Title: IRAQ: U.S. FORCES BOMB BAQUBA AFTER DAY OF INSURGENT ATTACKS, EIGHT CIVILIANS KILLED BY U.S. FIRE.
  • Date: 25th June 2004
  • Summary: (U3) BAQUBA, IRAQ (JUNE 25, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. GV/PAN/GV/CU: VARIOUS OF HOUSES DESTROYED/ PEOPLE GATHERED AROUND HOUSE, DAMAGED CAR (6 SHOTS) 0.29 2. CU: SACK OF U.S. MILITARY VEGETARIAN "MEAL" ON THE GROUND 0.33 3. CU/GV: DAMAGE; PEOPLE STANDING AROUND DESTROYED CAR; VARIOUS OF RUBBLE (5 SHOTS) 0.57 4. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HABIB MO
  • Embargoed: 10th July 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAQUBA, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVA122092HYCK263V8WPCZSEZLSO
  • Story Text: U.S. forces bomb positions northeast of Baghdad and
    eight Iraqi civilians are killed by U.S. fire, witnesses
    said.



    U.S. forces bombed targets in the city of Baquba,
    60 km (40 miles) northeast of Baghdad on Thursday (June 24)
    following attacks by insurgents on police stations and U.S.

    forces in the city.

    Residents said U.S. planes attacked and damaged a
    number of houses in the predominantly Sunni city.

    At least 13 people were killed and 22 wounded when
    black-clad gunmen attacked a police station. Hospital staff
    said nine policemen and four civilians were among the dead.

    Two American soldiers died in the Baquba fighting, the
    U.S. 1st Infantry Division said. U.S. aircraft dropped four
    500-pound bombs on insurgent positions near the soccer
    stadium.

    Meanwhile, eight family members of a council man of
    Baquba city, Abdul Latif Ibrahim al-Alo, were killed by
    U.S. soldiers at a checkpoint on their way to Baghdad. Alo
    was not in the car.

    Witnesses said that Alo's family was trying to flee the
    city, 60 km northeast of Baghdad during violence that
    wrecked the city earlier in the day when it was fired at by
    U.S. soldiers who were manning a checkpoint at the city.

    They said the driver of the car, Alo's nephew, lost
    control of the car when he tried to avoid the checkpoint
    and turn back, drawing fire from the U.S. tanks. All the
    eight people who were inside the car were burnt.

    Alo, a member of the city local council and head of
    Electricity Department of Diyala province has received
    death threats and has escaped an attempt on his life last
    month.

    Witnesses said gunmen took control of the town's main
    intersection after the dawn assault on the police station,
    attacking any Iraqi police or U.S. troops they encountered.

    Some of the black-clad gunmen who attacked police and
    government buildings in Baquba proclaimed loyalty to
    Zarqawi
    and wore yellow headbands linking them to his group.

    It appeared to be the first time members of Zarqawi's
    underground network had surfaced in street combat.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register