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EspañolHAIFA STREET HELICOPTER INCIDENT
On the early morning of 13 September 2004, on Haifa Street in a residential area of central Baghdad, at least 12 people were killed as US troops battled Iraqi insurgents who fired a salvo of mortars into Iraqi government compound, orchestrated two car bombings and assassinated a security official.
The fighting erupted after a suspected car bomb exploded two hours before dawn in Haifa Street, where insurgents and US troops clash regularly. Heavy machine gun and assault rifle fire reverberated across the street for three hours. As part of the Coalition response a Bradley armored fighting vehicle was mobilized to support US troops.
As the sun rose at 0630 local time (0230 GMT), a car bomb struck the Bradley, wounding four people, according to a military spokeswoman. She was unable at the time to confirm if the casualties were American. At the same time two suicide bombers attempted to break through the checkpoint into the Green Zone.
Witnesses saw an angry mob pelt the burning tank with stones and dance around the armored vehicle as one man climbed on top, waving a black flag emblazoned with the name of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's group, Tawhid al-Jihad.
When an US Army helicopter dispatched as part of a routine operation to destroy the abandoned Bradley vehicle, the helicopter opened fire on the crowd, killing twelve. A journalist and a cameraman were among the casualties, the journalist taking fire while reporting on camera.
The military investigated the incident. There are conflicting reports of the details of the incident from different news agencies.
★ Motive for Haifa Street Helicopter Massacre Remains a Mystery
★ At least 12 killed in Baghdad fighting
★ US Air Strike Targets Crowd in Central Baghdad
★ Officials: 31 killed in clashes across Iraq
| Contents |
| The battle |
| Helicopter incident |
| External links |
The battle
The fighting erupted after a suspected car bomb exploded two hours before dawn in Haifa Street, where insurgents and US troops clash regularly. Heavy machine gun and assault rifle fire reverberated across the street for three hours. As part of the Coalition response a Bradley armored fighting vehicle was mobilized to support US troops.
As the sun rose at 0630 local time (0230 GMT), a car bomb struck the Bradley, wounding four people, according to a military spokeswoman. She was unable at the time to confirm if the casualties were American. At the same time two suicide bombers attempted to break through the checkpoint into the Green Zone.
Helicopter incident
Witnesses saw an angry mob pelt the burning tank with stones and dance around the armored vehicle as one man climbed on top, waving a black flag emblazoned with the name of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's group, Tawhid al-Jihad.
When an US Army helicopter dispatched as part of a routine operation to destroy the abandoned Bradley vehicle, the helicopter opened fire on the crowd, killing twelve. A journalist and a cameraman were among the casualties, the journalist taking fire while reporting on camera.
The military investigated the incident. There are conflicting reports of the details of the incident from different news agencies.
External links
★ Motive for Haifa Street Helicopter Massacre Remains a Mystery
★ At least 12 killed in Baghdad fighting
★ US Air Strike Targets Crowd in Central Baghdad
★ Officials: 31 killed in clashes across Iraq
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