UK Forces incident N of Basra
- Thread starter Packard
- Start date
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http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_793543.html?menu=news.latestheadlines
British troops wounded in Iraq
Eight British soldiers have been injured - two critically - in an incident near Basra.
The soldiers, understood to be from the 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, came under Iraqi enemy fire just south of al-Amarah.
Captain Dennis Abbott, a military spokesman in Basra, said: "There was a hostile shooting incident in the UK area of operations. We can confirm there are eight casualties. Two are critically ill.
"Next of kin are currently being informed and therefore no further details can be given.
"This was an isolated incident and in no way reflects the general security situation across the UK area of operations."
British forces seized the southern city of Basra shortly after the outbreak of war in Iraq.
In recent weeks soldiers have been patrolling the streets in caps, rather than helmets, and have suffered no major attacks.
Army sources add the unit involved was the 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment which is in Iraq as part of 16 Air Assault Brigade.
Defence officials have been unable to confirm initial reports a British helicopter was ambushed.
Story filed: 14:22 Tuesday 24th June 2003
British troops wounded in Iraq
Eight British soldiers have been injured - two critically - in an incident near Basra.
The soldiers, understood to be from the 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, came under Iraqi enemy fire just south of al-Amarah.
Captain Dennis Abbott, a military spokesman in Basra, said: "There was a hostile shooting incident in the UK area of operations. We can confirm there are eight casualties. Two are critically ill.
"Next of kin are currently being informed and therefore no further details can be given.
"This was an isolated incident and in no way reflects the general security situation across the UK area of operations."
British forces seized the southern city of Basra shortly after the outbreak of war in Iraq.
In recent weeks soldiers have been patrolling the streets in caps, rather than helmets, and have suffered no major attacks.
Army sources add the unit involved was the 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment which is in Iraq as part of 16 Air Assault Brigade.
Defence officials have been unable to confirm initial reports a British helicopter was ambushed.
Story filed: 14:22 Tuesday 24th June 2003
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_793646.html?menu=
They died in the first of two separate attacks in which eight other soldiers were wounded, three of them seriously, said army Captain Dennis Abbott.
They died in the first of two separate attacks in which eight other soldiers were wounded, three of them seriously, said army Captain Dennis Abbott.
I suggest every one of you write to your MP and ask what they are doing about this? What questions are being asked? Get your family members to write too. This is disgusting. They effectively lied to us to go to war. The fact that SH should go is irrelevant. Six more brave men have died today to satisfy these lying Cnuts egos. NOT GOOD ENOUGH. They need to explain themselves. Writing to your MP may start something rolling. What other choice do we have?
http://www.arrse.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb1/YaBB.pl?board=gen_pol;action=display;num=1056098039
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I have just sent this email to my MP.
Dear Mr Ruane,
It is with deep concern that I write to you about the recent casualties in Iraq. I served in the British army for 13 years (who took part in Gulf War 1) and I would like to know what questions you are asking in parliament about the reasons for going to war in Iraq in light of the recent revelations about the lack of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). I ask this as it appears the government, which you are a part of, LIED to me.
The reason put forward for the attack was that Iraq had WMD that could be fired within 45 minutes and were a clear and present danger to the UK. This appears now not to be the case. The Foreign Secretary has today said the dossier was rubbish! So why did we go?
Today six men have lost their lives because of this subterfuge. Why? You Sir are my elected member of parliament and I request, no, DEMAND that you answer this question as to why British soldiers lives have been sacrificed for a lie.
Yours in frustration
http://www.arrse.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb1/YaBB.pl?board=gen_pol;action=display;num=1056098039
:-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[
I have just sent this email to my MP.
Dear Mr Ruane,
It is with deep concern that I write to you about the recent casualties in Iraq. I served in the British army for 13 years (who took part in Gulf War 1) and I would like to know what questions you are asking in parliament about the reasons for going to war in Iraq in light of the recent revelations about the lack of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). I ask this as it appears the government, which you are a part of, LIED to me.
The reason put forward for the attack was that Iraq had WMD that could be fired within 45 minutes and were a clear and present danger to the UK. This appears now not to be the case. The Foreign Secretary has today said the dossier was rubbish! So why did we go?
Today six men have lost their lives because of this subterfuge. Why? You Sir are my elected member of parliament and I request, no, DEMAND that you answer this question as to why British soldiers lives have been sacrificed for a lie.
Yours in frustration
The dead soldiers have been identified as being Military Police - there to help set up and restructure the local police force.
A crying shame.
The story on sky news:
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-12356593,00.html
'TROOPS FIRED FIRST'
An Iraqi policeman has said the six British soldiers who were killed yesterday had opened fire on a crowd of civilian demonstrators - killing four.
The policeman said armed civilians then killed two of the soldiers at the scene of the demonstration, Associated Press reported.
The civilians then chased the other four soldiers to a police station, where the troops were killed after a two hour gunbattle, the policeman Abbas Faddhel said.
Other reports from Iraqi witnesses said the shooting began when the troops opened fire with plastic bullets on a crowd of demonstrators after days of tension.
The crowd, believing the bullets were real, fired back.
Defence Secretary Geoff Honn confirmed on Sky News that there had been an incident in which British troops had opened fire.
He said: "Certainly there was an exchange of fire and British forces came under attack and they responded robustly as they are entitled to do."
He said he could not give any further details and an investigation is underway.
Other reports said civilians in the town where the soldiers were killed were angry at intrusive searches for weapons by troops.
The bodies of the six - from the Royal Military police - were found on Tuesday in the town of Al Majar al Kabir, 120 miles north of Basra, where they had been training local police.
Eight more soldiers were injured in a separate incident five hours earlier.
Mr Hoon said he could not rule out sending more troops back to Iraq.
Attack south of Baghdad
The deaths are the heaviest British combat casualties since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime.
Hours before the deaths, troops from the 1st Battalion the Parachute Regiment patrolling the town came under attack from rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machine guns and rifle fire from "a large number of Iraqi gunmen".
A quick reaction force, including a troop of Scimitar armoured vehicles and a Chinook helicopter, called in to assist them also came under fire.
Seven men in the helicopter and one man on the ground were injured in the fighting.
In Washington, Pentagon officials said insurgents had carried out 25 attacks on US forces over a 24-hour period.
Unlike the Americans, the British have encountered little in the way of resistance since the fall of Baghdad, though senior British commanders have warned that they expected rogue guerrilla elements to continue to operate.
Captain Dennis Abbott, a military spokesman in Basra, said: "This was an isolated incident and in no way reflects the general security situation across the UK area of operations."
Since the fall of Iraq, UK troops had previously suffered no major attacks and had been patrolling the streets in berets and caps rather than helmets.
The deaths of the six military police brought the total number of British personnel killed since the start of the conflict to 43.
A crying shame.
The story on sky news:
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-12356593,00.html
'TROOPS FIRED FIRST'
An Iraqi policeman has said the six British soldiers who were killed yesterday had opened fire on a crowd of civilian demonstrators - killing four.
The policeman said armed civilians then killed two of the soldiers at the scene of the demonstration, Associated Press reported.
The civilians then chased the other four soldiers to a police station, where the troops were killed after a two hour gunbattle, the policeman Abbas Faddhel said.
Other reports from Iraqi witnesses said the shooting began when the troops opened fire with plastic bullets on a crowd of demonstrators after days of tension.
The crowd, believing the bullets were real, fired back.
Defence Secretary Geoff Honn confirmed on Sky News that there had been an incident in which British troops had opened fire.
He said: "Certainly there was an exchange of fire and British forces came under attack and they responded robustly as they are entitled to do."
He said he could not give any further details and an investigation is underway.
Other reports said civilians in the town where the soldiers were killed were angry at intrusive searches for weapons by troops.
The bodies of the six - from the Royal Military police - were found on Tuesday in the town of Al Majar al Kabir, 120 miles north of Basra, where they had been training local police.
Eight more soldiers were injured in a separate incident five hours earlier.
Mr Hoon said he could not rule out sending more troops back to Iraq.
Attack south of Baghdad
The deaths are the heaviest British combat casualties since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime.
Hours before the deaths, troops from the 1st Battalion the Parachute Regiment patrolling the town came under attack from rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machine guns and rifle fire from "a large number of Iraqi gunmen".
A quick reaction force, including a troop of Scimitar armoured vehicles and a Chinook helicopter, called in to assist them also came under fire.
Seven men in the helicopter and one man on the ground were injured in the fighting.
In Washington, Pentagon officials said insurgents had carried out 25 attacks on US forces over a 24-hour period.
Unlike the Americans, the British have encountered little in the way of resistance since the fall of Baghdad, though senior British commanders have warned that they expected rogue guerrilla elements to continue to operate.
Captain Dennis Abbott, a military spokesman in Basra, said: "This was an isolated incident and in no way reflects the general security situation across the UK area of operations."
Since the fall of Iraq, UK troops had previously suffered no major attacks and had been patrolling the streets in berets and caps rather than helmets.
The deaths of the six military police brought the total number of British personnel killed since the start of the conflict to 43.
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