thedrifter
02-23-07, 07:56 AM
US Investigating Claims of Civilian Deaths in Ramadi
By VOA News
23 February 2007
The U.S. military in Iraq says it is investigating claims of civilian deaths during Thursday's fierce gunbattle between coalition forces and insurgents in the city of Ramadi - an insurgent stronghold west of Baghdad.
A military spokesman told reporters in Baghdad Friday, U.S. Marines did not think there were civilian casualties, but there was a claim and the military is looking into it.
He said insurgents were "firmly entrenched" in several buildings and U.S. forces called in air strikes to destroy the buildings.
Earlier, the U.S. military said at least 12 insurgents were killed during the six-hour battle. But Iraqi officials say at least 26 people, including women and children, were killed.
Meanwhile, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, said insurgents appear to be changing tactics in their terror campaign by using toxic gas with explosives.
Earlier this week, U.S. forces discovered a supply of Chlorine gas and other explosives at a site near Fallujah that they believed was a facility to assemble car bombs.
Two car bomb explosions in Baghdad this week released chlorine gas, which burns skin and can also be fatal
Separately, the U.S. military said one American soldier was killed and three others wounded in a roadside bomb blast south of Baghdad Thursday.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
Ellie
By VOA News
23 February 2007
The U.S. military in Iraq says it is investigating claims of civilian deaths during Thursday's fierce gunbattle between coalition forces and insurgents in the city of Ramadi - an insurgent stronghold west of Baghdad.
A military spokesman told reporters in Baghdad Friday, U.S. Marines did not think there were civilian casualties, but there was a claim and the military is looking into it.
He said insurgents were "firmly entrenched" in several buildings and U.S. forces called in air strikes to destroy the buildings.
Earlier, the U.S. military said at least 12 insurgents were killed during the six-hour battle. But Iraqi officials say at least 26 people, including women and children, were killed.
Meanwhile, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, said insurgents appear to be changing tactics in their terror campaign by using toxic gas with explosives.
Earlier this week, U.S. forces discovered a supply of Chlorine gas and other explosives at a site near Fallujah that they believed was a facility to assemble car bombs.
Two car bomb explosions in Baghdad this week released chlorine gas, which burns skin and can also be fatal
Separately, the U.S. military said one American soldier was killed and three others wounded in a roadside bomb blast south of Baghdad Thursday.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
Ellie