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U.S. Airstrikes Kill 20 Iraqi Civilians
By Solomon Moore
Times Staff Writer
10/17/05 "Los
Angeles Times" -- -- BAGHDAD — Airstrikes by
American jets and helicopters killed at least 20 Iraqi civilians
and injured another 15 people during a weekend anti-insurgent
military operation in the western city of Ramadi, according to
interviews today with local police officers and a doctor who
treated the injured.
"An American aircraft yesterday bombed a crowd of people that
were gathering around a U.S. military vehicle that was destroyed
by gunmen earlier in the clashes," said Ramadi police Capt. Ali
Salem today. "We transported at least 17 dead people and much
more injured ones to Ramadi General Hospital."
U.S. military sources said that helicopters and fighter planes
launched three airstrikes in the Ramadi area Sunday and that the
attacks killed at least 60 suspected insurgents.
"We have no confirmation or information that there were any
civilians involved," said Lt. Col. Steve Boylan, spokesman for
the U.S. military in Baghdad. "We were going after insurgents
using precision-guided munitions. We take great care at all
times to insure that we target only valid, legitimate targets."
Since fall 2004, U.S. forces have attacked insurgents in several
cities and towns in Al Anbar, a vast and predominately Sunni
Arab province that stretches along Iraq's desert borders with
Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The sparsely populated region
has been used by insurgents as a main staging ground and
thoroughfare as they filter in from Syria.
Even as the rest of the nation voted Sunday on a new
constitution during a relatively peaceful referendum day, U.S.
forces waged a heavy assault on insurgents around Ramadi, about
50 miles west of Baghdad. U.S. and Iraqi sources reported
intense fighting on both sides and stiff resistance by rebels
throughout the weekend.
"Harsh military operations took place in Ramadi during the last
three days between the U.S. forces and armed groups," said
Ramadi police Capt. Mohammed Sarhan. "The armed men used heavy
weapons, like mortar shells, rocket-propelled grenades and heavy
machine guns…. The U.S. used artillery, and airplanes bombed
some of these places. This is the reason for the civilian
casualties. In addition, U.S. forces also suffered some
casualties and some of their vehicles were destroyed during the
clashes."
On Saturday, five U.S. Army soldiers were killed on the
outskirts of Ramadi when a roadside bomb exploded near their
vehicle.
Today, military officials described the three airborne attacks
carried out the day before. An F-15 fighter launched the first
strike at 1:25 p.m. Sunday, after an aviator saw about 20 men
near the crater caused by the earlier roadside attack.
Military officials said the aviator suspected that the men were
planting another explosive device and released a bomb, killing
an unknown number of suspected insurgents.
About six hours later, insurgents fired on a Cobra helicopter,
which responded with a volley of machine gun fire, killing about
10 suspected insurgents, according to military officials.
The last airstrike Sunday took place at 8 p.m., according to
military officials, after crew members of an F/A-18 warplane
dropped a bomb on a suspected insurgent safe house, killing
about 50 people.
"We know that the insurgents, at times, will try to hide in and
among the civilian populations," Boylan said today. "But at this
time, to the best of our knowledge, this was strictly a military
target. We have seen in the past propaganda claiming that
whenever we go after targets in urban areas we kill civilians,
which turns out to be false."
A Times special correspondent in Ramadi contributed to this
report.
Copyright 2005 Los Angeles Times
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