Attacks against the green zone the German, Turkish and Iranian embassies
Iraq-USA, Military, 12/27/2003

The Christmas period in Iraq was the bloodiest in Iraq for the American forces which this week suffered the loss of 11 soldiers, and the wounding many others, in attacks in various parts of Iraq.

Meantime a wave of attacks emerged against the German, Turkish, and Iranian embassies in Baghdad, that resulted in no casualties, and was followed by campaigns of artillery and air bombardment by the occupation forces, especially in Baghdad.

Two American soldiers were killed in two separate incidents, as one bomb went off, implanted on a road, when an American vehicle was running between Sameraa and Baqouba, to the north of Baghdad, and this resulted in killing one soldier and two of the attackers in a fire exchange after the explosion. A second soldier was killed while trying to defuse a bomb outside Baqouba.

A third American soldier was also killed in a bomb explosion that targeted his bus in Balad area, to the north of Baghdad, and three soldiers were injured yesterday, in an attack that targeted their vehicle in al-Musil, to the north of Iraq. An American spokesman said that a booby trapped car went off while running on the road of Baghdad airport, noting that the occupants of the vehicle were killed in the bomb explosion.

On Thursday two American soldiers were killed and other four wounded in a mortar shelling attack against an American base near baqouba. Two other American soldiers were injured in fire exchange in al Musil city, to the North of Iraq.

Witnesses said that the American army destroyed by missiles yesterday a house that they had suspected to be used by resistance operations, in order to organize attacks in al-Khaledeyah city to the west of al-Falouja. One citizen said that the Americans asked the people through loudspeakers to evacuate the area in the heart of the city, and cordoned it, and later one American plane fired at the house with two missiles, and it was completely destroyed.

The occupation forces continued what it called its "iron fist operation," to exterminate resistance members, and launched bombardment operation by artillery and planes in certain areas in Baghdad for the fourth day running.

In al-Musil, the Iraqi police said that armed men killed the leader of al-Khaledeyah tribe and member in the municipal council who was appointed by the occupation forces in the city Sheikh Talal al-Khalidi and his son. The gunmen also attacked a police patrol upon its arrival to investigate in the incident and this resulted in wounding one Iraqi policeman. The same Sheikh had survived three assassination attempts since May. He was a deputy in the former Iraqi parliament under the rule of Saddam Hussein.

However, the green zone, which surrounds the headquarters of the occupation forces in Baghdad, was exposed to a wave of missiles on Thursday, but no casualties were reported. More than 10 missiles were fired at the downtown of Baghdad, and hit both the German and Turkish embassies, and also no casualties were reported. Two hotels trodden by westerners and a residential complex were hit.

One missile hit the outer fence of the Iranian and Turkish embassies and a building adjoining the German embassy, seemed to have had targeted the headquarters of the ministry of the interior. The police said the American forces defused one missile directed at the headquarters of the ministry of finance in another quarter in Baghdad. The attackers left booklets in which they called the workers in the hotel to stop working in it, and demanded the occupation forces to leave Iraq.

Meantime, the Iraqi minister of sciences and technology, Rashed Mandan, survived on Wednesday an assassination attempt by a bomb implanted near his house in al-Dawpoudeyah area, while his car was passing by, and he was slightly wounded as a result.

Japanese forces yesterday headed for Iraq in the largest and most dangerous military mission for it since the second world war ,after the consent of the government and the parliament to take part in the process of rebuilding Iraq. The Japanese force only includes 40 soldiers, who are the vanguard of the force which will arrive later in Iraq including 150 troops, while several transport planes are expected to arrive in January, 2004.

In Karkouk, two Arab students were injured in clashes with Iraqi police members, who tried to prevent a demonstration for the Arabs and the Turkmans, who tried to get out of the Karkouk university complex and demonstrate in front of the headquarters of the governor, in protest against the Kurdish demonstration which took place in the city last week. A statement by the students called for replacing the Kurdish dean of the technological faculty, Hameed Majuid, considering that he encouraged the demonstration of the Kurdish students on Tuesday.

Previous Stories:
  Mortar shells against the American leadership headquarters, Sheraton   (12/25/2003)
  Four killed in a car explosion in Irbil   (12/25/2003)
  Large explosions in Baghdad, 70 Iraqis arrested, sectarianism talk   (12/24/2003)
  Occupation forces detain Iraqi scientists   (12/22/2003)
  Text: U.S. to Fund "Redirection Training" for Former WMD Scientists in Iraq   (12/19/2003)
  Scores killed, wounded in Baghdad explosion, 3 US soldiers wounded   (12/18/2003)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search