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Two
U.S. Soldiers Killed, Helicopter Downed In Iraq
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U.S. occupation forces in Fallujah came under a fresh attack
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BAGHDAD,
May 27 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Two U.S. soldiers were
killed and nine others injured when a "hostile force of unknown
size" attacked an American army unit in the Iraqi city of Falluja
on Tuesday, May 27, the U.S. Central Command said.
The
U.S. forces responded "decisively with concentrated fire,"
killing two of the attackers and capturing six others, the Centcom said
in a press release on its website.
An
Army helicopter landed during the firefight to evacuate the wounded and
was damaged when a Bradley struck it while maneuvering into a firing
position, read the release.
“The
truck was not damaged by friendly fire, and not by the attackers,” one
of the inhabitants told Al-Jazeera channel.
“People
gathering in the scene were as happy, shouting against the U.S. forces
who rushed there to remove all traces of the exchange,” the
channel’s correspondent said on air by telephone.
The
units and identities of the dead and wounded soldiers were being
withheld while next of kin were informed, the CentCom said.
It
said that initial reports are that the attackers fired from a mosque in
the city west of Baghdad.
“The
use of a religious site, such as a mosque or church, as cover for
military purposes is a violation of the Law of War."
But
the U.S. and British forces in Iraq tried to respect the sanctity of
such sites but had a right to defend themselves, The CentCom added.
Fallujah
has seen growing anti-American sentiments since the forces trundled into
it few weeks ago. Demonstrations calling for an end to occupation left
19 civilians dead and 76 at least injured by the U.S. gunfire on April
28 and April 30. Seven U.S. soldiers were wounded in a grenade attack in
the city few days afterwards.
In
the meanwhile, an American soldier died Tuesday and two others were
injured in a road accident near the town of Talil, when their
tractor-trailer collided with another vehicle. Another U.S. soldier
drowned after diving into an aqueduct in northern Iraq, the Central
Command said.
A
soldier was killed Monday, May 26, and another wounded when their convoy
was ambushed in northern Iraq, and four soldiers were hurt in what
appeared to be a land-mine attack in a Baghdad neighborhood.
On
Sunday, May 25, a U.S. soldier was killed and another injured in
southern Iraq when a munitions dump they were guarding exploded.
In
Baqubah, 45 miles northeast of Baghdad, U.S. soldiers shot and killed a
woman who tried to approach them carrying two hand grenades. The
shooting took place immediately after unknown attackers threw handheld
explosives at U.S. soldiers, according to the Central Command.
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