First US, British Army Casualties Reported as Raids on Iraq Intensify

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, March 21, 2003

First US, British Army Casualties Reported as Raids on Iraq Intensify

Sixteen US and British soldiers died in a helicopter crash near the Iraq-Kuwait border early Friday as the United States intensified air raids on Iraq's key cities.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Sixteen US and British soldiers died in a helicopter crash near the Iraq-Kuwait border early Friday as the United States intensified air raids on Iraq's key cities.

Twelve Britons and four Americans on board the US Marine helicopter were killed when it crashed in Kuwait when conducting operations against Iraq, al-Jazeera TV channel reported on Friday.

All the 16 members of the personnel aboard the US CH-46 Marine helicopter were believed dead, becoming the first casualties of the militaries carrying out a war against Iraq, American defense officials confirmed later.

Earlier, two other US military helicopters made crash landings during operations along the Kuwait-Iraq border. One was later destroyed by American warplanes to prevent it from falling into Iraqi hands, US Defense Department officials said, giving no reason for the accident.

Meanwhile, as the US-led war goes into its second day, the American and British armies have toughened the bombing of central Iraqi cities from air and sea.

A series of explosions ripped through the Iraqi capital of Baghdad as a result of US and British bombardment with cruise missiles, while continuous explosions were heard throughout the Iraqi southern town of Basra early Friday, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported.

Fire tongues snaked up and clouds of black plumes billowed up in Basra, MENA said, adding the Iraqi troops fired anti-aircraft barrages in response to the blitz.

Huge explosions were also heard in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, with flare seen on the horizon, said al-Jazeera TV channel.

On late Thursday, there was exchange of artillery fire between US and Iraqi troops near Basra, said the report, adding that US-British forces were moving toward Basra.

US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has noted that "Things are going very well," and "there is no question but that regime (of Saddam Hussein) is not going to be there in the future."

US officials are communicating with some Iraqi military officers in "every conceivable mode and method" to convince them to "act with honor," Rumsfeld said on Thursday. The United States has pledged that soldiers who surrender will not be punished.

The official Kuwait news agency reported that US and British forces had taken the Gulf port of Umm Qasr and that British Royal Marines commandos had landed on the Fao peninsula south of Baghdad. But Iraq has denied the report of the fall of Umm Qasr.

In a latest development, the South Korean presidential palace said Friday that Seoul had decided to send up to 700 non-combat troops to Iraq to help the US-led war because South Korea is one of a few countries which have promised to contribute troops to the so-called "coalition of the willing."

The United States started the war in its first preemptive strike in the US history at 0530 a.m. (0230 GMT) on Thursday, about 90 minutes after the expiration of an ultimatum issued by US President George W. Bush for Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein to leave the country or face war.

The United States has accused Iraq of hiding and secretly developing banned weapons as well as having linkage with the al-Qaeda terror network, and vowed to disarm Iraq by force if necessary. Iraq strongly denies the US allegation.

Questions?Comments? Click here

US Confirms 16 Killed in Helicopter Crash in Kuwait

>> Full Coverage

The US Must Not Put Pressure On the UN ( 3 Messages)

Saddam Vows to Globalize War if Attacked ( 5 Messages)

China's Z11 Helicopters Get Green Light for Civilian Use ( 5 Messages)

New Premier Comes from Grass Roots ( 2 Messages)

China Hopes War can be Avoided: FM ( 3 Messages)