US troops kill eleven Iraqis in ambush
American soldier shot dead, 19 hurt in 2 attacks
AFP, Baghdad
US troops killed 11 Iraqis who attempted to ambush a patrol north of Baghdad yesterday, a US military spokesman said, adding that there were no US casualties. "The attackers attempted to engage the patrol with small arms and RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades). They were all killed when the patrol returned fire," Specialist Giovanni Lorente told the news agency. The attack occurred near Balad, around 75 kilometres north of the capital early yesterday, he added. A mortar attack on a US base in the area late Thursday left 16 US troops wounded, a military spokesman said earlier. Earlier one US soldier was shot and killed in Baghdad overnight, while 19 others were wounded in a mortar attack near the town of Balad, north of the Iraqi capital, US army spokesmen said yesterday. "There was a mortar attack inside or near the US base," near Balad, around 75 kilometres north of Baghdad, Specialist Giovanni Lorente said. "Initial reports suggest that 19 US soldiers were wounded." Their condition was not known. A separate shooting claimed the life of one soldier, believed to have been on patrol in a Bradley armoured vehicle. "There was a shooting in Baghdad yesterday evening. A 1st Armoured Division soldier was shot. He was initially evacuated to an aid station where he died," Major Sean Gibson told AFP.
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