2 U.S. Soldiers Killed in
Iraq
A U.S. soldier arrives at the scene where a
U.S. Army Humvee was destroyed in an apparent ambush on
the road to Baghdad International Airport on Monday. One
soldier was killed and three were injured. (Murad
Sezer/The Associated Press)
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By Bassem Mroue
The Associated
Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Gunmen ambushed a U.S.
military convoy in northern Iraq on Monday, killing an
American soldier and wounding another. Separately, another
U.S. soldier was killed and three were injured when a Humvee
ran over a land mine in an apparent attack, the military said.
It was one of the most violent days for
U.S. troops since the war ended last month.
In the north, unidentified attackers
opened fire on an eight-vehicle convoy on a resupply mission
to a base near the town of Hadithah, about 120 miles north of
Baghdad, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement.
The command said the ambush happened at
6:15 a.m. and that the troops belonged to the 3rd Armored
Cavalry Regiment, which is based at Fort Carson, Colo.
The assailants used machine guns and
rocket-propelled grenades in the attack, the latest of several
on coalition forces this month. The statement said helicopters
were immediately dispatched to the area to find the shooters.
Later Monday, U.S. Central Command
issued a statement saying a U.S. soldier was killed and three
injured when a Humvee ran over a land mine or unexploded
ordnance at about 5 p.m. in an apparently hostile act. Other
patrols in the area came to help the soldiers.
The military
did not provide more details, but witnesses in the well-off
Baghdad neighborhood of Yarmouk said they heard several
explosions and a 15-minute burst of gunfire along the road to
the airport, west of the capital.
A
U.S. soldier near the scene said it was an ambush and that at
least one Humvee was destroyed.
Another
soldier said it appeared the Humvee hit a land mine and four
soldiers were wounded.
It was unclear
which soldier died or whether the mine had been placed there
to directly target Americans.
Troops
blocked the highway, keeping reporters from the scene and
causing a traffic jam.
The road that
connects Baghdad International Airport with the city is
frequently used by U.S. troops, many of whom are based at the
airport. At least one other reported attack has taken place on
that road in recent weeks.
The names of
all the soldiers were withheld pending notification of their
families.BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Gunmen ambushed a U.S. military
convoy in northern Iraq on Monday, killing an American soldier
and wounding another. Separately, another U.S. soldier was
killed and three were injured when a Humvee ran over a land
mine in an apparent attack, the military said.
It was one of the most violent days for
U.S. troops since the war ended last month.
In the north, unidentified attackers
opened fire on an eight-vehicle convoy on a resupply mission
to a base near the town of Hadithah, about 120 miles north of
Baghdad, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement.
The command said the ambush happened at
6:15 a.m. and that the troops belonged to the 3rd Armored
Cavalry Regiment, which is based at Fort Carson, Colo.
The assailants used machine guns and
rocket-propelled grenades in the attack, the latest of several
on coalition forces this month. The statement said helicopters
were immediately dispatched to the area to find the shooters.
In the well-off Baghdad neighborhood of
Yarmouk, witnesses said they heard several explosions and a
15-minute burst of gunfire along the road to the airport, west
of the capital.
A U.S. soldier near the
scene said it was an ambush and that at least one Humvee was
destroyed.
Another soldier said it
appeared the Humvee hit a land mine and four soldiers were
wounded. Troops blocked the highway, keeping reporters from
the scene and causing a traffic jam.
A
third soldier said three soldiers suffered burn injuries. A
witness who lives near the scene said a fourth soldier was
injured shortly afterward when ammunition in the Humvee
exploded.
It was unclear whether the
mine had been placed there to directly target Americans.
The road that connects Baghdad
International Airport with the city is frequently used by U.S.
troops, many of whom are based at the airport. At least one
other reported attack has taken place on that road in recent
weeks.
U.S. Central Command later
issued a statement saying a U.S. soldier was killed and three
injured when a Humvee ran over a land mine or unexploded
ordnance at about 5 p.m. in an apparently hostile act.
The names of all the soldiers were
withheld pending notification of their families.
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