Post by Salem6 on Oct 17, 2003 10:28:29 GMT
Three US soldiers and two Iraqi police officers were killed overnight when Iraqis fired at them from rooftops in the holy Iraqi city of Karbala, a coalition spokesman has said.
A number of attackers were also killed, the spokesman said.
One report says gunfire broke out again in the area on Friday morning, sending people fleeing for cover.
There have been a number of clashes in the city in recent weeks between rival Shia Muslim factions.
An unconfirmed report says the latest battle took place near the headquarters of a Shia Muslim cleric shortly before midnight local time (2100 GMT), as troops tried to impose a night-time curfew.
The building was being guarded by at least 20 gunmen. They were ordered to go inside, but refused and shooting broke out.
The report says that men, women and children were diving for cover. The battle is said to have lasted about half an hour.
Polish troops are in command of the area, 85 kilometres (50 miles) south of Baghdad, but US troops continue to operate there. There were no Polish casualties, the Polish military said.
"Currently we confirmed three American MPs (military police) killed in action and two wounded and we confirmed two Iraqi police killed in action and five Iraqi police wounded," said Major Ralph Manos, a spokesman for the multinational force in Karbala.
The deaths took to 100 the number of US troops killed in Iraq since President George W Bush declared major hostilities over on 1 May.
A number of attackers were also killed, the spokesman said.
One report says gunfire broke out again in the area on Friday morning, sending people fleeing for cover.
There have been a number of clashes in the city in recent weeks between rival Shia Muslim factions.
An unconfirmed report says the latest battle took place near the headquarters of a Shia Muslim cleric shortly before midnight local time (2100 GMT), as troops tried to impose a night-time curfew.
The building was being guarded by at least 20 gunmen. They were ordered to go inside, but refused and shooting broke out.
The report says that men, women and children were diving for cover. The battle is said to have lasted about half an hour.
Polish troops are in command of the area, 85 kilometres (50 miles) south of Baghdad, but US troops continue to operate there. There were no Polish casualties, the Polish military said.
"Currently we confirmed three American MPs (military police) killed in action and two wounded and we confirmed two Iraqi police killed in action and five Iraqi police wounded," said Major Ralph Manos, a spokesman for the multinational force in Karbala.
The deaths took to 100 the number of US troops killed in Iraq since President George W Bush declared major hostilities over on 1 May.