Sunday, June 29, 2003
Paladin Hit
KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!
Mounting casualty figures
The most recent American casualties were two soldiers wounded when a convoy was attacked on a highway in Baghdad, U.S. military officials said. An Iraqi civilian was killed in the attack.
The Americans were assigned to the 18th Military Police Brigade, the official said. The extent of their wounds is unknown.
An unidentified explosive device hit the convoy as it traveled along Highway 8, a main road between Baghdad and the airport, a military official said.
It came just hours after U.S. soldiers guarding the Iraqi National Museum in Al Salihiya were attacked Saturday evening as a vehicle approached their position and then sped away.
Several Iraqi witnesses said two men driving a red Volkswagen threw grenades in an apparent attempt to hit a U.S. self-propelled Paladin howitzer positioned adjacent to small office building. There were no reports of casualties.
Two soldiers were found dead Saturday about 20 miles northwest of Baghdad after an exhaustive search using helicopters, armored vehicles and tanks, U.S. Central Command said.
Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe, 37, of Linden, New Jersey, and Pfc. Kevin Ott, 27, of Columbus, Ohio, were traveling in a Humvee near a checkpoint when military officials lost contact with them on Wednesday.
Ott's brother-in-law, Jim Pack, said: "We understand very vividly that freedom is not free," Pack said. "The price is very high. And we understand that they have a job to do to ensure that freedom for us, and we are very proud of all of them."
It was not immediately clear how Ott and Philippe died, but 12 people have been detained in connection with the case, officials said.
The U.S. government is expected to classify their deaths as "hostile," raising to 23 the total number of U.S. troops killed by hostile fire in Iraq since the end of major combat was announced May 1. The six British troops all died in a single incident last week.
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Mounting casualty figures
The most recent American casualties were two soldiers wounded when a convoy was attacked on a highway in Baghdad, U.S. military officials said. An Iraqi civilian was killed in the attack.
The Americans were assigned to the 18th Military Police Brigade, the official said. The extent of their wounds is unknown.
An unidentified explosive device hit the convoy as it traveled along Highway 8, a main road between Baghdad and the airport, a military official said.
It came just hours after U.S. soldiers guarding the Iraqi National Museum in Al Salihiya were attacked Saturday evening as a vehicle approached their position and then sped away.
Several Iraqi witnesses said two men driving a red Volkswagen threw grenades in an apparent attempt to hit a U.S. self-propelled Paladin howitzer positioned adjacent to small office building. There were no reports of casualties.
Two soldiers were found dead Saturday about 20 miles northwest of Baghdad after an exhaustive search using helicopters, armored vehicles and tanks, U.S. Central Command said.
Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe, 37, of Linden, New Jersey, and Pfc. Kevin Ott, 27, of Columbus, Ohio, were traveling in a Humvee near a checkpoint when military officials lost contact with them on Wednesday.
Ott's brother-in-law, Jim Pack, said: "We understand very vividly that freedom is not free," Pack said. "The price is very high. And we understand that they have a job to do to ensure that freedom for us, and we are very proud of all of them."
It was not immediately clear how Ott and Philippe died, but 12 people have been detained in connection with the case, officials said.
The U.S. government is expected to classify their deaths as "hostile," raising to 23 the total number of U.S. troops killed by hostile fire in Iraq since the end of major combat was announced May 1. The six British troops all died in a single incident last week.
