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CNN Live Today

Multiple Acts of Violence in Iraq

Aired December 24, 2003 - 10:18   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: There's no holiday time off from the tough mission in Iraq for U.S. forces. A roadside bomb near Sammara killed three U.S. soldiers, that as the U.S. fights back with a renewed offensive against insurgence. For the latest let's go to CNN's Karl Penhaul in Baghdad -- Karl.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. The bomb in near Samarra, just south of Samarra as far as we understand along Highway 1, occurred at about 9:00 this morning. That instantly killed two U.S. soldiers who were traveling in a three-vehicle convoy. A third American soldier was wounded in that attack, later died his injuries in a hospital.

Samarra is a town about 35 miles north of Baghdad. And as you probably remember, this was the focus of an intense U.S. counter insurgency operation that's been going to over the past few days. That's netted approx more a hundred suspected Iraqi insurgents. So every possibility that this is some kind of retaliation against that.

A few hours later in the northern Kurdish city of Irbil, a suicide bomb went off, according to U.S. military spokesmen. The suicide bomber wandered through a series of protected barricades and was able to detonate the device. He died that attack and one civilian died in that attack, according to U.S. military spokesmen.

Earlier reports had put the death toll at four, but U.S. military, as I say, only confirming two people, though they are saying there were numerous injuries because a lot of young students were traveling through the area at the time.

And to cap that violent day in Baghdad, was there another roadside bomb on one of the roads that leads towards the western is suburbs. A bus driver was killed in that blast and two of the passengers aboard were killed.

So all this adds up to a picture that looks in many respects like the surge in anti-coalition and anti-rocket tanks that the coalition forces have been warning about that's coinciding with the Christmas period -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Karl Penhaul, thank you very much for that update from Baghdad.

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






Aired December 24, 2003 - 10:18   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: There's no holiday time off from the tough mission in Iraq for U.S. forces. A roadside bomb near Sammara killed three U.S. soldiers, that as the U.S. fights back with a renewed offensive against insurgence. For the latest let's go to CNN's Karl Penhaul in Baghdad -- Karl.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. The bomb in near Samarra, just south of Samarra as far as we understand along Highway 1, occurred at about 9:00 this morning. That instantly killed two U.S. soldiers who were traveling in a three-vehicle convoy. A third American soldier was wounded in that attack, later died his injuries in a hospital.

Samarra is a town about 35 miles north of Baghdad. And as you probably remember, this was the focus of an intense U.S. counter insurgency operation that's been going to over the past few days. That's netted approx more a hundred suspected Iraqi insurgents. So every possibility that this is some kind of retaliation against that.

A few hours later in the northern Kurdish city of Irbil, a suicide bomb went off, according to U.S. military spokesmen. The suicide bomber wandered through a series of protected barricades and was able to detonate the device. He died that attack and one civilian died in that attack, according to U.S. military spokesmen.

Earlier reports had put the death toll at four, but U.S. military, as I say, only confirming two people, though they are saying there were numerous injuries because a lot of young students were traveling through the area at the time.

And to cap that violent day in Baghdad, was there another roadside bomb on one of the roads that leads towards the western is suburbs. A bus driver was killed in that blast and two of the passengers aboard were killed.

So all this adds up to a picture that looks in many respects like the surge in anti-coalition and anti-rocket tanks that the coalition forces have been warning about that's coinciding with the Christmas period -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Karl Penhaul, thank you very much for that update from Baghdad.

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