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Two die as US Abrams tank blown up
Baghdad, Iraq: Two American soldiers were killed when their Abrams battle tank was damaged by resistance fighters, and seven Ukrainian troops were wounded in the first ambush of a multinational unit in the Polish sector south of Baghdad, coalition officials said today.
Baghdad, Iraq: Two American soldiers were killed
when their Abrams battle tank was damaged by resistance
fighters, and seven Ukrainian troops were wounded in the first
ambush of a multinational unit in the Polish sector south of
Baghdad, coalition officials said today.
The latest deaths bring to 115 the number of American
soldiers killed in Iraq since President Bush declared an end
to major combat May 01. Defence Department figures show 114
US soldiers died in the active combat phase, which began
March 20.
The Abrams tank was disabled when it was struck by a land mine or a roadside bomb last night during a patrol near Balad, 70 km north of Baghdad, said Maj. Josslyn Aberle, a spokeswoman for the 4th Infantry Division. A third crewman was evacuated to a US hospital in Germany, she said.
It was believed to be the first M1 Abrams main battle tank destroyed since the end of major combat May 01. During the active combat phase, several of the 68-ton vehicles were disabled in combat.
The latest attacks, including a nighttime mortar barrage in Baghdad, followed a day of violence in which insurgents targeted American forces and Iraqis who work with the occupation authorities. US officials also announced that Baghdad's Deputy Mayor Faris Abdul Razzaq al-Assam was killed Sunday in a drive-by shooting. The proliferation of attacks on Iraqis allied with the occupation bodes ill for attempts by the US-led authorities to persuade more Iraqis to join in administering the country and play a greater role in providing security.
Bureau Report
The Abrams tank was disabled when it was struck by a land mine or a roadside bomb last night during a patrol near Balad, 70 km north of Baghdad, said Maj. Josslyn Aberle, a spokeswoman for the 4th Infantry Division. A third crewman was evacuated to a US hospital in Germany, she said.
It was believed to be the first M1 Abrams main battle tank destroyed since the end of major combat May 01. During the active combat phase, several of the 68-ton vehicles were disabled in combat.
The latest attacks, including a nighttime mortar barrage in Baghdad, followed a day of violence in which insurgents targeted American forces and Iraqis who work with the occupation authorities. US officials also announced that Baghdad's Deputy Mayor Faris Abdul Razzaq al-Assam was killed Sunday in a drive-by shooting. The proliferation of attacks on Iraqis allied with the occupation bodes ill for attempts by the US-led authorities to persuade more Iraqis to join in administering the country and play a greater role in providing security.
Bureau Report