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CNN Live At Daybreak

Explosions in Iraq

Aired December 09, 2003 - 06:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq this morning, two car bomb attacks at two U.S. military bases just hours apart, dozens of U.S. soldiers injured. That's in the north. In Baghdad, an explosion at a mosque kills at least three Iraqis.
Let's head live to Baghdad now. Our bureau chief there, Jane Arraf, is standing by.

Hello -- Jane.

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Carol.

Well, there were 31 U.S. soldiers injured in this attack, but amazingly no one killed. Now, this was an attack at a military base, 101st Airborne 3rd Division -- 3rd Brigade, rather, at Tel Afar, which, as you mentioned, is about 40 miles out of the northern city of Mosul.

Now, in this case, very early this morning, before dawn, a car came up and tried to ram through the barricades at that main gate, according to the military. When it tried to do that, soldiers in the watch tower and on the ground opened fire, detonating that explosive, but before the car bomb could actually make it inside the gates. Again, 31 soldiers injured, none of them with life-threatening injured.

And in another town, in Baqouba, north of Baghdad, a suicide bomber blew himself up. Now, he apparently was strapped with explosives himself, and he blew himself up, killing himself, obviously. But no American soldiers killed in that one. Two wounded, according to military sources.

And it has been a busy morning, Carol. This morning in Baghdad, in north Baghdad, just after dawn, prayers and explosion at a mosque. According to police on the scene, three Iraqis were killed and several others injured. The cause of the explosion is unclear. Some people on the site say it was rocket-propelled grenades hitting a generator; others say it was an attack directly on that mosque -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jane Arraf reporting live from Baghdad this morning.

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Aired December 9, 2003 - 06:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq this morning, two car bomb attacks at two U.S. military bases just hours apart, dozens of U.S. soldiers injured. That's in the north. In Baghdad, an explosion at a mosque kills at least three Iraqis.
Let's head live to Baghdad now. Our bureau chief there, Jane Arraf, is standing by.

Hello -- Jane.

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Carol.

Well, there were 31 U.S. soldiers injured in this attack, but amazingly no one killed. Now, this was an attack at a military base, 101st Airborne 3rd Division -- 3rd Brigade, rather, at Tel Afar, which, as you mentioned, is about 40 miles out of the northern city of Mosul.

Now, in this case, very early this morning, before dawn, a car came up and tried to ram through the barricades at that main gate, according to the military. When it tried to do that, soldiers in the watch tower and on the ground opened fire, detonating that explosive, but before the car bomb could actually make it inside the gates. Again, 31 soldiers injured, none of them with life-threatening injured.

And in another town, in Baqouba, north of Baghdad, a suicide bomber blew himself up. Now, he apparently was strapped with explosives himself, and he blew himself up, killing himself, obviously. But no American soldiers killed in that one. Two wounded, according to military sources.

And it has been a busy morning, Carol. This morning in Baghdad, in north Baghdad, just after dawn, prayers and explosion at a mosque. According to police on the scene, three Iraqis were killed and several others injured. The cause of the explosion is unclear. Some people on the site say it was rocket-propelled grenades hitting a generator; others say it was an attack directly on that mosque -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jane Arraf reporting live from Baghdad this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.