U.S. ARMY KILLS 6 IRAQI CIVILIANS

Samarra, Mar 20, (VOI)- Six civilians were killed when the U.S. army shelled their vehicle near Samarra, while U.S. forces said that they targeted a number of suspected gunmen in southwest Samarra, a police source said on Thursday.


Salah al-Din - Voices of Iraq Thursday , 20 /03 /2008 Time 10:20:26

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“A U.S. aircraft on Wednesday opened fire on a civilian vehicle on the main road linking between Samarra and Tikrit, killing six civilians,” the source, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq –(VOI).“Coalition forces targeted several suspected improvised explosive deviceemplacers southwest of Samarra Wednesday,” Abdullatif Rayan, the media advisor for the Multi-National Force (MNF) in Iraq, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).

“During the operation, Coalition forces engaged two terrorists observed planting an IED in the road, killing them. The assault force also engaged a vehicle believed to be associated with the group,” he added.“Coalition forces were engaged by small-arms fire by one of the occupants.

Responding in self-defense, Coalition forces returned fire, killing four terrorists,” Rayan explained.“The vehicle, which contained rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, land mines, homemadeexplosives, and other IED-making materials, was destroyed by a fixed-wing aircraft to prevent further use for terrorist activity,” he noted.Samarra, Salah al-Din province, lies 120 km north of Baghdad.