U.S. Soldier Killed in Explosion; Marines, Insurgents Fight in FallujahAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2004 -- One American soldier with the Army's 1st Infantry Division was killed and two others were injured when a remotely detonated improvised explosive device struck their patrol, near Samarra, Iraq, around 12:30 p.m. today. A Multinational Force Iraq news release stated the wounded soldiers were evacuated to a local military facility. No other details of the attack were released. The name of the deceased soldier is being withheld pending next-of- kin notification. Insurgents repeatedly attacked a position held by U.S. Marines near Fallujah July 31, according to Multinational Force Iraq officials. The Marines, with 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, responded with tank fire when "anti-Iraqi forces" attacked the Marines' position with mortars, rocket- propelled grenades, machine guns and small arms. Officials said enemy casualties were not known, but no U.S. Marines were injured in the exchange. The Marines fired on enemy fighters in civilian attire firing from several hundred yards away from the Marines' position, according to a press release. Iraqi National Guardsmen and police supported the Marines in this operation, officials said. The Marines also employed close-air support with precision-guided munitions on a building from which enemy forces were firing. Officials said the building was in an industrial, non-residential area of the city. At least 20 armed men had been observed firing from the industrial complex. There have been several such exchanges in Fallujah in recent days. Fighting elsewhere in the city continued into early this morning after enemy fighters repeatedly attacked three MNFI convoys traveling outside the northeast part of the city, a separate release detailed. The release did not say when the initial attacks occurred. Individuals in the convoys returned fire and requested close-air support, which "took out" one building and an enemy position, the release said. Officials estimated at least 10 enemy fighters died in this engagement. Elsewhere in Iraq, a car bomb outside a police station in Mosul killed five Iraqis and wounded more than 40 others this morning. The vehicle approached the Somer Police Station in southeast Mosul "at a high rate of speed, crashing into the concrete barriers in front of the station and exploding," according to a MNFI news release. The guard at the entry-control point that was attacked had shot and killed the driver before the detonation, officials said. The police station was not damaged. Three Iraqis died and three others were injured when an improvised explosive device detonated in central Baghdad around 8:30 this morning. Officials reported no damage to multinational forces or equipment. In other news from Iraq: U.S. soldiers from Task Force Danger, in Tikrit, detained four individuals and confiscated small arms, materials for making improvised explosive devices, a million Iraqi dinar, letters threatening Iraqi civilians who work for coalition forces, a "hit list" of civilian workers, and letters to Iraqi Imams asking them to preach messages from anti-Iraq forces. The operation took place around 4 p.m. July 31 while the soldiers were searching for an anti-Iraqi-force operation cell near Balad Ruz. The detained individuals were taken to a Multinational Force detention facility for questioning. Iraqi National Guard soldiers captured three anti-Iraqi fighters and one mortar system, fiver mortar rounds and charges during a patrol near Baqubah around 10 a.m. July 31. Officials reported the patrol saw the insurgents setting up a mortar tube in a field, engaged the enemy fighters and called for reinforcements. The insurgents were taken to a military facility for questioning.
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