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Baghdad Rattled by Explosions

Aired December 26, 2003 - 13:09   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Since this time yesterday, five more soldiers have fallen in the heartland of Iraq. For the second night in a row, Baghdad is being rattled by explosions. CNN's Rym Brahimi is there now with the latest -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, a lot has been going on in the past 24 hours. You were mentioning the deaths of these five U.S. soldiers. One died, another one was wounded in a Rocket-Propelled Grenade attack near the town of Ballad which is about 50 kilometers north of Baghdad.

In Mosul which about a five-hour drive north of Iraqi capital, one Iraqi tribal shaikh and his son were killed. The police are investigating that incident. And two U.S. soldiers wounded in an exchange of gunfire basically. That happened very early this morning.

Then you have two soldiers, two American soldier who died in Ba'qubah, that's about an hour's drive northeast from here. One of them was killed in an improvised explosive device explosion. The other one died when he was actually trying to dismantle an IED that was there on the road.

And yesterday, two other U.S. soldiers wounded when a mortar struck their forward operation base in the same area of Ba'qubah. So as you can see a lot of activity around Baghdad.

In Baghdad as well today we have reports that two people have been killed. It was on a highway when a bomb exploded. Not clear whether that bomb was in a car or whether it was detonated on the side of the road.

And amid all this, Kyra, while Operation Iron Grip continues, we've been hearing a lot of heavy aircraft activity tonight, as we did last night. Last night, perhaps, maybe more intense if you will. You could hear a lot of explosions. You could also hear certain explosions followed at one point by the sound of sirens. This appeared to be when mortars struck the Green Zone, which is where the coalition authorities have their headquarters. We are told, however, by the 1st Armored Division that they were able to capture five suspects, they say, who have would be launching those mortars into the Green Zone -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Rym Brahimi, live from Baghdad, thank you.

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 26, 2003 - 13:09   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Since this time yesterday, five more soldiers have fallen in the heartland of Iraq. For the second night in a row, Baghdad is being rattled by explosions. CNN's Rym Brahimi is there now with the latest -- Rym.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, a lot has been going on in the past 24 hours. You were mentioning the deaths of these five U.S. soldiers. One died, another one was wounded in a Rocket-Propelled Grenade attack near the town of Ballad which is about 50 kilometers north of Baghdad.

In Mosul which about a five-hour drive north of Iraqi capital, one Iraqi tribal shaikh and his son were killed. The police are investigating that incident. And two U.S. soldiers wounded in an exchange of gunfire basically. That happened very early this morning.

Then you have two soldiers, two American soldier who died in Ba'qubah, that's about an hour's drive northeast from here. One of them was killed in an improvised explosive device explosion. The other one died when he was actually trying to dismantle an IED that was there on the road.

And yesterday, two other U.S. soldiers wounded when a mortar struck their forward operation base in the same area of Ba'qubah. So as you can see a lot of activity around Baghdad.

In Baghdad as well today we have reports that two people have been killed. It was on a highway when a bomb exploded. Not clear whether that bomb was in a car or whether it was detonated on the side of the road.

And amid all this, Kyra, while Operation Iron Grip continues, we've been hearing a lot of heavy aircraft activity tonight, as we did last night. Last night, perhaps, maybe more intense if you will. You could hear a lot of explosions. You could also hear certain explosions followed at one point by the sound of sirens. This appeared to be when mortars struck the Green Zone, which is where the coalition authorities have their headquarters. We are told, however, by the 1st Armored Division that they were able to capture five suspects, they say, who have would be launching those mortars into the Green Zone -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Rym Brahimi, live from Baghdad, thank you.

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