Iraqi mosque ablaze after US air strike

[Aidoneus]

Iraqi mosque ablaze after US air strike
Tuesday 12 October 2004

US air strikes have set a mosque ablaze after Iraqi fighters and US marines engaged in heavy clashes in its vicinity in the western town of Hiyt.

Eyewitnesses told Aljazeera that at least one Iraqi was killed and five wounded in the fighting in Hiyt on Monday.

A US military spokesman said marines came under fire from around 100 fighters near the town of Hiyt, about 170km west of Baghdad, and engaged in an hour-long firefight.

Some of the fighters took up positions in a mosque, the spokesman in Baghdad said.

"Air strikes were called in on the mosque position. The mosque is partially damaged and is currently on fire," he said.

Hiyt is on the main road that follows the Euphrates river towards Syria.

A US military helicopter was downed in the same city in earlier clashes on Monday, eyewitnesses told Aljazeera.

--snip--

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/5FA41DD4-C3A1-42A5-8503-831418384965.htm

[mmonk]

1. US commanders

always play into their hands for some reason. How many fighters were in there? Enough to ignore the coming complaints that work in the resistance's favor?

[Aidoneus]

2. hm.. bit of a mix-up on the part of whatever idiot posted this

Yes, it would seem that he put the Gaza piece in LBN (which he usually does on purpose, much to the chargin of what passes for The Man around here), and the Iraq piece in I/P.. silly boy!

[kokomo]

3. I see that S. Korea has sent 2800 soldiers to Iraq....................

which makes the South Korean contingent the third largest of the US-led forces in Iraq after the UK and DON'T forget POLAND, #2.