Monday, 20 July 2009
American military forces in Iraq suffered another death on Sunday. Spokespersons for the military provided few details, mentioning only that the Marine was the victim of a "combat-related incident as a result of enemy action" in Anbar Province, in the western part of the country.
The death coincides with the return of violence to the area. Anbar's situation has been inconsistent since the American invasion. Once known for being a hotbed of terrorist activity and a haven for the insurgency, the province calmed when former insurgents joined the government-allied "Awakening Councils" two years ago. Yet violence is on the rise again in Falluja, one of Anbar's major cities.
It appears there were additional attacks on Sunday as well. Iraqi security officials reported that two Katyusha rockets landed in Camp Echo, the American base in Diwaniya Province in southern Iraq. This attack has not been confirmed by the United States military, and it remains unclear whether any soldiers stationed there were injured. Past rocket attacks have proven fatal, as was the case four days ago when Katyusha rockets killed three American soldiers at their base in southern Iraq.
Iraqi security forces have uncovered evidence that the rocket attacks may be part of a coordinated effort. Two men arrested last week by Iraqi police admitted that they were part of a group that had been recently trained in Iran. They had been instructed in firing Katyusha rockets and had been taught how to plant homemade bombs. According to an Iraqi security official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the men possessed a rocket launcher, multiple rockets, a list of targets, and several maps at the time of their arrest.
By George Bogden (JTW)
