British troops hit by bomb in Iraq

[maddezmom]

Source: Reuters

British troops hit by bomb in Iraq
Thu Apr 5, 2007 8:38 AM BST

BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - A roadside bomb hit British forces in a Shi'ite militia stronghold in the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Thursday in what the British military described as a "serious incident".

British military spokesmen in Basra, the hub of Iraq's main oil fields, had no word on casualties.

One resident said he saw at least one armoured vehicle ablaze and a second one damaged. "I saw some soldiers being taken away, but I don't know how many," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

British military spokeswoman Katie Brown said a roadside bomb hit British troops at 2 a.m. (11:00 p.m. Wednesday British time). She gave no further details. A second spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Kevin Stratford-Wright, confirmed only that there had been a "serious incident" during the night.



Read more: http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2007-04-05T083804Z_01_BAY526145_RTRUKOC_0_UK-IRAQ-BRITAIN.xml

[maddezmom]

1. British Storm a checkpoint and disarm Iraqi police

One of the bombs left a large crater in the road that was at least a metre deep and several metres wide. Iraqi police said British troops had stormed a checkpoint close to the scene of the blasts shortly afterwards and disarmed the police there.

British military spokesmen in Basra, the hub of Iraq's main oil fields, had no word on casualties. Two British soldiers have been killed in separate small arms attacks this week.

One resident said he had seen at least one armoured vehicle ablaze, possible a Warrior infantry fighting vehicle, which British forces typically use in Basra.

"We heard two explosions that shook the house. I went out and saw one armoured vehicle that was completely destroyed and another with less damage. I saw some soldiers being taken away, but I don't know how many," he said, declining to give his name.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L0571941.htm

[Eugene]

2. Reuters AlertNet: Four British soldiers, one Iraqi interpreter killed in roadside blast

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/COL533228.htm

No story details yet.

[maddezmom]

3. Four British soldiers killed in Iraq

Four British soldiers killed in Iraq
10.32, Thu Apr 5 2007


Four British soldiers have been killed in two roadside bombings in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, military sources have confirmed.

The blasts occurred as a UK patrol drove near an Iraqi police checkpoint in Hayaniya, a slum area on the northwestern outskirts of the city late on Wednesday.

British troops retaliated, attacking and destroying the checkpoint. The area is a stronghold of the Mehdi Army militia of radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

Iraqi police confirmed the retaliatory attack on the checkpoint and said they were arrested by British troops and had their guns confiscated.

more:http://www.itv.com/news/index_b89c8ead4a1d345642e0ebe6c9e52e49.html

[sabra]

4. today is turning into an extra gruesome day in Iraq :-(

[Eugene]

5. Blair suspects Iran's hand in Iraq attacks

Source: Guardian Unlimited

2.15pm update
Blair suspects Iran's hand in Iraq attacks

Mark Oliver
Thursday April 5, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

Tony Blair today warned that "elements of the Iranian regime" were arming
insurgents in Iraq after it was confirmed four British troops were killed in
Basra last night.

-snip-

The British troops were killed at around 2am local time by a roadside bomb
attack that had targeted their Warrior armoured vehicle patrol in an area
west of Basra city. A civilian Kuwaiti translator was also killed in the attack
and a fifth British soldier was left seriously injured.

-snip-

Mr Blair said it was "too early" to know if there was a direct link to Iran
to the latest British fatalities but repeated claims he has made before of
general Iranian involvement in arming insurgents.

He said: "Now it is far too early to say that the particular terrorist act
that killed our forces was an act committed by terrorists that were backed
by any elements of the Iranian regime, so I make no allegation in respect
of that particular incident.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2050838,00.html