Civilians killed in U.S. raid near Balad
{{date|March 17, 2006}}
[[Image:Iraq_NIMA_2514x2716.jpg|thumb|right|Map of Iraq]]
A U.S. raid near [[w:Balad, Iraq|Balad]] on Wednesday resulted in the deaths of between nine and 13 civilians. An Associated Press photographer recorded pictures of the bodies of two men, five children, and four covered corpses reported to be women. The victims had bits of rubble tangled in their hair and were covered in dust. Police Capt. Hakim Azzawi said in an interview with the Washington Post that 13 in total were dead, two men, five children, and six women. The U.S. military confirmed the attack but said only four people died — two women, a man and a child.

Family of the victims said the 11 dead people were wrapped in blankets and driven in three pickup trucks to the [[w:Tikrit|Tikrit]] General Hospital. 

The US military said that the raid resulted in a "foreign fighter facilitator" being taken into coalition custody for questioning.

Police Capt. Laith Mohammed stated that the attack 50 miles north of [[w:Baghdad|Baghdad]] involved U.S. warplanes and armored vehicles, which flattened a house in the village of Isahaqi. 

Ahmed, the brother of the dead man, told the Associated Press, "The dead family was not part of the resistance. They were women and children. The Americans have promised us a better life, but we get only death."

{{haveyoursay}}
== External links ==
[http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m21614&l=i&size=1&hd=0 Photos of the victims of the U.S. raid]

== Sources ==
* {{source|author=John Ward Anderson 
|url=http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_3606717
|title=U.S. raid for alleged fugitive kills up to 13 near Baghdad
|pub=DenverPost.com
|date=03/16/2006 1:00 AM MST}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/16/iraq/main1409082.shtml|title=Iraq: U.S. Raid Kills Women, Children|author=|pub=CBS|date=March 15,2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/03/15/iraq.main/index.html?section=cnn_latest|title=U.S.-led raid kills civilians north of Balad|author=[[Associated Press|AP]]|pub=CNN|date=March 15,2006}}
*{{source|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/700FEDFE-B0ED-49B4-9123-6508E4753864.htm|title=US launches air offensive in Iraq
|author=[[Reuters]]|pub=Al Jazeera|date=Thursday 16 March 2006, 22:59 Makka Time, 19:59 GMT}}
*{{source|url=http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article351700.ece
|title=US launches major assault in Iraq 
|pub=The Independent
|author = Qassim Abdul-Zahra ([[Associated Press|AP]])
|date=Thursday 16 March 2006
|brokenURL=yes
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060427043924/http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article351700.ece
|archivedescription=Archived from the original on April 27, 2006 via the Internet Archive
}}

{{archive}}
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[[Category:Middle East]]
[[Category:Iraq]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]

[[fr:Des civils sont morts près de Balad en Irak]]
Map of Iraq
A U.S. raid near Balad on Wednesday resulted in the deaths of between nine and 13 civilians. An Associated Press photographer recorded pictures of the bodies of two men, five children, and four covered corpses reported to be women. The victims had bits of rubble tangled in their hair and were covered in dust. Police Capt. Hakim Azzawi said in an interview with the Washington Post that 13 in total were dead, two men, five children, and six women. The U.S. military confirmed the attack but said only four people died — two women, a man and a child.

Family of the victims said the 11 dead people were wrapped in blankets and driven in three pickup trucks to the Tikrit General Hospital. 

The US military said that the raid resulted in a "foreign fighter facilitator" being taken into coalition custody for questioning.

Police Capt. Laith Mohammed stated that the attack 50 miles north of Baghdad involved U.S. warplanes and armored vehicles, which flattened a house in the village of Isahaqi. 

Ahmed, the brother of the dead man, told the Associated Press, "The dead family was not part of the resistance. They were women and children. The Americans have promised us a better life, but we get only death."
Middle East Iraq United States Politics and conflicts