IRAQ: A SUICIDE BOMBER KILLS THIRTEEN AND INJURES FIFTY ONE, AS A RESULT OF RAMMING A CAR FULL OF EXPLOSIVES INTO A POLICE STATION IN KIRKUK

Record ID: 358257

  • Title: IRAQ: A SUICIDE BOMBER KILLS THIRTEEN AND INJURES FIFTY ONE, AS A RESULT OF RAMMING A CAR FULL OF EXPLOSIVES INTO A POLICE STATION IN KIRKUK
  • Date: 23rd February 2004
  • Summary: (EU) KIRKUK, IRAQ (FEBRUARY 23, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. GV: OF POLICE STATION, U.S. TROOPS AND HUMVEE OUTSIDE 0.10 2. MV: U.S. SOLDIER ON TOP OF HUMVEE MANNING MACHINE GUN TURRETT 0.16 3. CU: DAMAGED POLICE STATION SIGN 0.22 4. MLV: IRAQI POLICEMAN EXAMINES BURNT OUT CAR 0.28 5. WS: U.S. SOLDIERS AND IRAQI POLICE OUTSIDE STATION
  • Embargoed: 9th March 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KIRKUK, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVA1RXCUPS3J0ACVKAHAFG41N7ZP
  • Story Text: A suicide bomber rammed a car into a police station
    in Iraq, killing 13 policemen and wounding 51 people.



    A suicide bomber rammed a car into a police station
    in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Monday (February
    23), killing 13 people and wounding 51 others.

    The attack occurred shortly before U.S. Defense
    Secretary Donald Rumsfeld flew into Baghdad on an
    unannounced visit to assess security in the troubled
    country.

    Police Lieutenant Salam Zangana said all of those
    killed were policemen.

    A police official said the attack was carried out by a
    suicide bomber driving a car in a Kurdish section of
    Kirkuk, an oil-rich city 250 km (155 miles) north of
    Baghdad where ethnic tensions are running high.

    The explosion badly damaged 13 cars and sent car parts
    flying over 100 metres (yards) away.

    The bomber struck when police were vulnerable while
    changing shifts and loading their weapons, a pattern seen
    in other bombings.

    Pools of blood covered ice and snow patches after the
    bomber drove his car into the gate of the unfortified
    police station.

    The United States is banking on Iraqi police and
    security forces taking over control of the country once
    American soldiers leave, but Iraqis can barely protect
    themselves from guerrillas who have attacked police
    stations to discourage them from cooperating with U.S.

    troops.

    More than 300 Iraqi policemen have been killed since a
    U.S.-led invasion toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in
    April.

    Armed only with AK-47 assault rifles, Iraqi police
    often complain that U.S. troops do not provide them with
    protection.

    The latest carnage erupted at a time when Iraq's Kurds
    are pressing for greater autonomy and competing with Arabs
    and Turkmen for influence over the city.


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