5 U.S. Soldiers Die in Iraq Rocket Attack

Incident is the single largest loss of life for American military in the country in more than two years

Video

Five U.S. troops killed in Iraq (NBC “Today,” June 6, 2011) — Five American military personnel were killed Monday in a rocket attack in central Iraq, making the incident the single largest loss of life for American forces in Iraq in the past two years. NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski reports. (01:30)

NBC News, The Associated Press, and Reuters via MSNBC.com
June 6, 2011

Five U.S. troops were killed Monday in Iraq, U.S. officials said — the single largest loss of life for the American military in the country in more than two years.

The troops died in a rocket attack that targeted a base in Baghdad, NBC News’ Jim Miklazewski reported. …

Two suspected militants were found dead, apparently killed by the premature explosion of one of their own rockets in the modified truck they were using as a launch platform, an interior ministry told the news agency. …

The deaths raised to 4,459 the number of American service members who have died in Iraq, according to an Associated Press count.

Although overall levels of violence have fallen since the peak of Iraq’s 2006-2007 sectarian conflict, attacks have increased as the year-end deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops approaches.

The U.S. currently has roughly 46,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, down from a one-time high of roughly 170,000. The American military officially ended its combat operations in Iraq last August and reduced its forces to less than 50,000 troops.

The remaining forces are focused on training and assisting Iraqi security personnel, and are not supposed to be actively engaged in combat operations. However, American forces still come under almost daily attack by rockets and mortars in their bases and get shot at and targeted by roadside bombs when they move outside of their bases.

Monday’s incident was the single largest loss of life for the U.S. military since May 2009, when five U.S. troops were killed in Baghdad during a non-combat related incident. In April 2009, six U.S. troops died — five in combat in the northern city of Mosul and one north of Baghdad in a non-combat related incident.

Full story

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Related report

Sixteen Die in Attacks Across Iraq

AFP via The Sydney Morning Herald
June 6, 2011

Violence in Baghdad and central Iraq on Monday has killed 16 people, including 12 struck by a car bomb driven by a suicide attacker in Saddam Hussein’s home town of Tikrit.

The unrest came three days after attacks at a Tikrit mosque and hospital killed 24, raising doubts over the capabilities of Iraqi security forces just months before all US forces must pull out. …

Nine soldiers were among the dead, including the three officers. …

The explosion struck at 9:30 a.m. local time, targeting the main gate of a fortified compound housing several of Saddam’s presidential palaces, which is home to security offices and also the mosque that was attacked on Friday.

The compound is locally called Tikrit’s Green Zone, referring to the heavily secured centre of Baghdad where parliament and the US embassy are located.

Friday’s violence was the worst in Tikrit since a March 29 al-Qaeda raid on the city’s provincial council offices, which led to a long firefight with security forces that killed 58 people. [link added] …

In Baghdad, two attacks by gunmen on checkpoints in the mainly Sunni northern neighbourhood of Adhamiyah killed three, one soldier and two anti al-Qaeda militiamen, and wounded two others, an interior ministry official and a military official said.

And a car bomb in the eastern district of Palestine Street killed one person and wounded 10 others, the ministry official said. …

A total of 177 people died in May as a result of violence, according to official figures.

Full story

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Related reports on this site

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Al-Qaida Strikes Back in Iraq (May 5, 2011)

Spate of Bombings in Baghdad (April 18, 2011)

Iraq: Many Dead in Tikrit (March 29, 2011)

Iraq: Slaughter in Samarra (Feb. 12, 2011)

Iraq Violence Persists (Feb. 9, 2011)

Wholesale Slaughter in Iraq (Jan. 18, 2011)

Insurgents Coming Back in Iraq (Dec. 5, 2010)

Bloodshed in Baghdad (Nov. 2, 2010)

Surge in Iraq Green Zone Attacks (Sept. 29, 2010)

Twin Blasts Rip Through Baghdad (Sept. 19, 2010)

Baghdad Military Headquarters Attack (Sept. 5, 2010)

Wave of Bombings Across Iraq (Aug. 26, 2010)

Horrific Baghdad Bombing (Aug. 18, 2010)

Iraq Civilian Deaths at 2-Year High (Aug. 1, 2010)

Iraq Security Remains Fragile (July 22, 2010)

Mayhem in Baghdad (July 18, 2010)

Baghdad Central Bank Attack (June 17, 2010)

Sustained Iraqi Insurgency (Aug. 12, 2009)

Deadly June for Iraqis (July 5, 2009)

Iraq: May Deadliest in 8 Months (May 29, 2009)

Explosion Rocks Iraqi Market (May 21, 2010)

‘Dark Days Soaked With Blood’ (May 14, 2010)

Cascade of Violence in Iraq (May 10, 2010)

Iraq Exit Will Be Long and Hard (March 7, 2009)

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — June 6, 2010

Bombings in Iraq, Afghanistan

Smoke rises over central Baghdad, Iraq, on Sunday, June 13, 2010 following a series of explosions. (Photo credit: Karim Kadim / AP)

One year ago today, I reported that bombings in Baghdad, Iraq and Kandahar, Afghanistan killed seven people — including policemen in both countries — and wounded about two dozen.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: Two Years Ago — June 6, 2009

D-Day Plus 65 Years

Slide presentation

Operation Overlord: Images of D-Day

Two years ago, on June 6, 2009, I commemorated the 65th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Normandy on May 6, 1944.