US casualty count according to Iraqi media

According to the Al Basrah website (albasrah.net/moqawama/english/iraqi_resistance.htm), which relies on reports gathered by Free Arab Voice, which has correspondents who speak with eye witnesses around Iraq, the following casualties of American troops have been reported through the first two weeks of August:

Killed: 392

Wounded: 574

Vehicles destroyed: 143

Aircraft destroyed: 3

Boats destroyed: 1

US helicopter attacks hotel killing 30

US aircraft violently attacked a hotel in Baghdad early August 16, killing some 30 Iraqi civilians, according to eyewitnesses.  All those killed were hotel guests or employees.

Eyewitnesses told Quds Press that an American helicopter dropped a bomb on a popular local hotel in the ‘Allawi al-Hillah area of Baghdad and then opened fire intensively on the roof of the building.

Witnesses said that the US attack destroyed part of the building as well as damaging several civilian cars parked near the hotel.  The correspondent wrote that the reason for the sudden American assault on the building was unknown.

The official website “ad-Dar al-‘Iraqiyah” which is run by the US- controlled Iraqi News Agency, quoted witnesses as saying that American helicopters opened concentrated fire at the building three times in succession and that more than 30 people were killed in the attack.

Local residents said that the hotel is frequented by Iraqi workers from various provinces who come to the capital looking for jobs and by taxi, truck, and bus drivers.

The official “ad-Dar al-‘Iraqi” news agency carried a later statement by the puppet “Iraqi interior ministry” ignoring reports of 30 deaths and saying only that 26 Iraqi civilians had been “injured” when US forces opened fire on a group of workers whom they mistook for Resistance fighters in the al-‘Allawi section of Baghdad. 

The agency quoted victims as saying that US troops opened fire on a gathering of several workers who were standing in front of a hotel.

The agency quoted ‘Ali Mahmud, who was wounded in the neck and leg, as saying that since the electricity is cut off in the morning, a number of them had gone out into the open to eat breakfast. He said, at that moment a helicopter opened fire on the street where the people were gathered.

Makki Husayn, a resident of the area, was quoted as saying that many people were sleeping on rooftops to avoid the stifling heat because there is no electricity at night and therefore no air conditioning or fans.

Tea seller Nasir Milham, 25, said that a US helicopter opened fire on Street No. 6 where a large number of people were gathered.

Reprinted from albasrah.net/en_articles_2005/0805/iraqiresistancereport_160805.htm

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