- At least one US soldier was killed when two almost simultaneous
bomb attacks hit convoys near the Iraqi town of Samarra, scene of deadly
clashes between troops and insurgents two days ago, a US officer at the
scene told AFP.
-
- "There was one soldier killed," said the clearly
distressed officer, who declined to give his name or elaborate.
-
- Reporters said the convoy was escorting a truck carrying
a damaged Apache helicopter from Samarra south to Baghdad. The aircraft
had a large hole in its rear but it was unclear whether it was accidental
or through enemy action.
-
- Witness Kanaan Kanel Kanaani told reporters that the
last vehicle in the dozen-strong convoy, a Humvee, was hit by a rocket-propelled
grenade or a mine.
-
- "The driver lost control and the vehicle veered
across the road, crashing into a parked pickup loaded with oranges,"
said Kanaani. "One soldier was killed."
-
- Arafat Enab, 21, said that it was an improvised explosive
device of the sort favoured by anti-US insurgents that hit the Humvee.
-
- "Half of the vehicle was destroyed and the driver
received fatal head injuries," said Enab.
-
- An AFP correspondent on the scene saw a military air
rescue helicopter land on the scene.
-
- A US military spokeswoman said she had no immediate report
on the bombings but was checking with operational commanders.
-
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