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Two US soldiers killed in chemical lab blast in Baghdad
Two US soldiers were killed and five others wounded here on Monday following a powerful blast during a raid on facilities thought to be producing “chemical munitions”, a senior US military spokesman said. Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, the US-led coalition’s deputy director for operations, said coalition troops searched the facilities after receiving information they could be involved in the production of chemical munitions. “The location was a chemical store where the owner (and associates) were suspected of supplying chemical agents to terrorist criminals and insurgents,” he told a press conference. There was also information that “the individuals were involved in the production of chemical munitions,” Kimmitt added, without providing details about the type of munitions sought.

“It could be any number of chemical munitions ... but it (the information) apparently had enough credibility to it that we sent coalition forces in to do the inspection.” Kimmitt also said that eight civilians were injured in the blast, which occurred in the northern neighbourhood of Waziriyah. “A huge explosion occurred and four Humvees were set ablaze after US soldiers entered a chemical lab,” said witness Salah al-Abed. Shortly after the explosion in two chemical laboratories, US troops were seen removing two bodies in body bags.

Several witnesses said US soldiers entered one of the labs and tried to force the door open, causing a spark, which triggered the explosion. “The US soldiers went into a first lab. When they came out, they were carrying chemical products. They made a small fire in the yard, then put it out,” said Amr al-Tay, a journalist for the London-based Arabic language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat whose office is located nearby. “They then went to a second lab nearby. When they forced the door with a tool, there was a spark and there was an explosion,” he added. “US soldiers entered the second chemical lab. There was smoke when a huge explosion occurred and the four Humvees parked outside were set ablaze,” said Salah al-Hassan al-Abed, another Asharq Al-Awsat employee.
Could someone explain what exactly they are talking about when they say ’chemical munitions’.
Posted by: TS (vice girl) 2004-04-26
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=31555