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| Iraq |
| Bomber strikes US soldiers meeting Iraqi officials |
| 2009-04-20 |
| A suicide bomber wearing an Iraqi military uniform struck a U.S. military delegation visiting the mayor of violence-wracked Baqouba on Monday, injuring at least eight American soldiers and nine others. Police officials claimed the attacker was disguised as a soldier — a tactic used in the past to pass through checkpoints — but U.S. forces have faced attacks from actual members of the security forces as well. In February, two police officers opened fire on U.S. soldiers in the northern city of Mosul, killing one and raising worries about insurgent infiltration in security forces. The Baqouba attack occurred as a group of Iraqi officials, led by Mayor Abdullah al-Hiyali, waited at the main gate of the municipal building to greet the U.S. soldiers, said Raad al-Dahalaki, the deputy mayor. "When the U.S. soldiers left their vehicles and started to walk toward the building, a man wearing a military uniform mingled with the crowd of U.S. soldiers and Iraqi policemen and set off the explosion," said al-Dahalaki. The U.S. military said at least eight soldiers were wounded in the blast. Iraqi security officials said at least nine civilians were also hurt. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media. |
| Posted by:ed |