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Central Command Reports Ambushes Repelled
SAMARRA, Iraq – 4th Infantry Division and Task Force Ironhorse soldiers repelled multiple ambush attempts on two separate logistic support convoys in the afternoon of Nov. 30, killing 46, wounding at least 18 and capturing eight in the city of Samarra. Many of the dead attackers were found wearing Fedayeen uniforms.

Five soldiers were wounded; two sustained minor injuries and will return to duty. None were life threatening, although three soldiers did require addition treatment and were evacuated to a nearby medical facility. A civilian in the convoy was also wounded and was evacuated to the same location.

Both convoys were moving into Samarra when they were attacked with improvised explosive devices, small arms, mortars and rocket propelled grenades. The attackers attempted to block one of the convoys’ way with a makeshift barricade. The barricade was immediately breached.

The logistic support convoys were moving to two separate locations in Samarra. The coordinated simultaneous attacks occurred at approximately 1:30 p.m. One attack occurred on the east side of the city and one on the west. Soldiers fought the attackers at numerous locations in both ambushes. The exchanges lasted for many minutes as the convoy vehicles moved through the city.

At each location soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor and military police returned fire with small arms, 120mm tank rounds and 25mm cannon fire from Bradley Fighting Vehicles. In all of the clashes Coalition firepower overwhelmed the attackers, resulting in significant enemy losses.

The attackers fired rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons at the convoys from the rooftops of buildings and from alleyways. Three of the buildings the attackers used for cover during the ambush were destroyed by Coalition fire.

At approximately 2:25 p.m., in a separate attack, in another section of Samarra, 244th Engineer soldiers were traveling in a convoy when four men using automatic weapons, riding in a black BMW, ambushed them. The soldiers returned fire, wounding all four. The attackers were eventually captured.

The soldiers searched the vehicle and discovered three AK-47 assault rifles and two rocket propelled grenade launchers.

Reuters:
TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. soldiers killed 46 Iraqis and captured eight trying to carry out a series of attempted ambushes on U.S. convoys in the central Iraqi city of Samarra on Sunday, a U.S. military spokesman said.

"The fourth infantry division repelled multiple ambush attacks," Lieutenant Colonel William MacDonald told reporters.

At least 18 attackers, five U.S. soldiers and a civilian traveling with the troops were wounded during the ambushes.

"The attacks were coordinated in locations very close to each other," he said, adding that the ambushes were made on separate U.S. convoys using mortars, grenades and small arms fire. Three buildings, from whose roofs the attackers fired, were destroyed.

"The attackers attempted to block one of the convoy’s way with a makeshift barricade," MacDonald said, citing three main attack points around Samarra, north of Baghdad.

"In all of the clashes coalition firepower overwhelmed the attackers resulting in significant enemy losses," he said. "If you attempt to attack one of our convoys we’re going to use our firepower to stop that attack."

Some of the attackers wore the attire of Fedayeen, a militia formed by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein before U.S.-led forces toppled him earlier this year.

The Fedayeen are among the former Saddam loyalists blamed by Washington for coordinating a rising insurgency against Iraq’s U.S. occupiers.

"This is the largest (ambush) for our task force since we’ve been in the area," MacDonald said.

He declined to say whether the coordinated ambushes were linked to attacks on civilian foreign nationals in the Tikrit- Samarra area in the last two days.

Samarra and Tikrit, where the 4th infantry division is based, are located in the center of Iraq where most attacks on foreign forces and Iraqis cooperating with them have been concentrated.

Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2003-12-01
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=22034