US air strike in Baghdad kills 14 sleeping civilians
Friday, 7 September 2007
BAGHDAD, Sept 6 (AFP): US air strikes on a Baghdad neighbourhood before dawn Thursday killed 14 civilians while they were sleeping and destroyed several houses, angry residents and Iraqi officials said.
Defence and interior ministry officials said US helicopters fired on houses in the Al-Washash neighbourhood of Mansour district in west Baghdad between 2.00 am and 3.00 am while in pursuit of insurgents.
"The attacks on the houses took place while people were sleeping. There were no clashes. The area had been quiet," said an interior ministry official who did not want to be named.
At least 10 people were wounded and were admitted to the nearby Al-Yarmuk hospital.
"Two to five houses were destroyed. Among the wounded are several women," the official said.
Abu Ali Saad, a resident of the mainly-Shiite Al-Washash enclave in the middle of the Sunni-majority Mansour neighbourhood, said US military vehicles had arrived in large numbers during the night.
"There were tanks and armoured vehicles and many troops," 35- year-old Saad told AFP while surveying the rubble of his neighbour's house.
"The tanks started firing then the helicopters came. Missiles were fired from the air. Houses were destroyed. A family of five were killed in this house," he said, referring to his neighbours.
"We are a peaceful neighbourhood. There are no militia here.
There were no exchanges of fire. We were all sleeping."
An AFP photographer said three houses were completely destroyed while two were partly damaged.
Amid the rubble of one house was a mattress covered in blood with human body parts scattered around. Neighbours said a family of six had been killed in the house, including a 12-year-old girl.
Bloodstains could also be seen amid the wreckage of the other houses, where angry residents gathered to denounce the US military.
"They prevented me from trying to get two of my wounded neighbours to hospital," said Ammar Assem.
"They fired on my car when I tried to leave the area. I had to go back."
Assem said one of the houses had been set ablaze but that the US military had prevented fire engines from reaching the scene.
"Neighbours all got buckets of water and managed to put the fire out eventually," he said.
US military officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Washington has deployed an extra 28,500 troops as part of a "surge" in Baghdad and surrounding areas aimed at quelling sectarian violence that has killed thousands of Iraqis since it erupted 18 months ago.
US forces say the surge is having an impact, and that the number of roadside bombs in the Iraqi capital has dropped significantly since the operation was launched on February 14.
However, militia are still active and according to Iraqi government figures, the number of civilians killed in August rose to almost 1,800, the second highest monthly toll since the extra troops arrived.
Defence and interior ministry officials said US helicopters fired on houses in the Al-Washash neighbourhood of Mansour district in west Baghdad between 2.00 am and 3.00 am while in pursuit of insurgents.
"The attacks on the houses took place while people were sleeping. There were no clashes. The area had been quiet," said an interior ministry official who did not want to be named.
At least 10 people were wounded and were admitted to the nearby Al-Yarmuk hospital.
"Two to five houses were destroyed. Among the wounded are several women," the official said.
Abu Ali Saad, a resident of the mainly-Shiite Al-Washash enclave in the middle of the Sunni-majority Mansour neighbourhood, said US military vehicles had arrived in large numbers during the night.
"There were tanks and armoured vehicles and many troops," 35- year-old Saad told AFP while surveying the rubble of his neighbour's house.
"The tanks started firing then the helicopters came. Missiles were fired from the air. Houses were destroyed. A family of five were killed in this house," he said, referring to his neighbours.
"We are a peaceful neighbourhood. There are no militia here.
There were no exchanges of fire. We were all sleeping."
An AFP photographer said three houses were completely destroyed while two were partly damaged.
Amid the rubble of one house was a mattress covered in blood with human body parts scattered around. Neighbours said a family of six had been killed in the house, including a 12-year-old girl.
Bloodstains could also be seen amid the wreckage of the other houses, where angry residents gathered to denounce the US military.
"They prevented me from trying to get two of my wounded neighbours to hospital," said Ammar Assem.
"They fired on my car when I tried to leave the area. I had to go back."
Assem said one of the houses had been set ablaze but that the US military had prevented fire engines from reaching the scene.
"Neighbours all got buckets of water and managed to put the fire out eventually," he said.
US military officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Washington has deployed an extra 28,500 troops as part of a "surge" in Baghdad and surrounding areas aimed at quelling sectarian violence that has killed thousands of Iraqis since it erupted 18 months ago.
US forces say the surge is having an impact, and that the number of roadside bombs in the Iraqi capital has dropped significantly since the operation was launched on February 14.
However, militia are still active and according to Iraqi government figures, the number of civilians killed in August rose to almost 1,800, the second highest monthly toll since the extra troops arrived.