Posted on 12/15/2004 5:25:44 AM PST by Grzegorz 246
WARSAW (AFP) - Three Polish soldiers were killed and four others injured in a helicopter accident near the Iraqi capital Baghdad, army officials said.
"The helicopter made an emergency landing eight kilometers (five miles) from Kerbala. Three soldiers died and four were injured," army chief-of-staff Colonel Zdzislaw Gnatowski told AFP.
"We are awaiting information on the condition of the soldiers hospitalized in Baghdad and Kerbala," he added. "The cause of the accident is still unknown but everything points to a technical failure of the helicopter which was on a routine patrol."
The incident brings to 20 the number of Poles killed in Iraq (news - web sites) since the country deployed troops in the war-torn country in August 2003. Of the casualties, 16 were soldiers and four were civilians.
Polish Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski announced Tuesday that his country planned to cut the size of its force in the US-led coalition in Iraq from 2,400 troops to 1,700 in mid-February.
However, he said another 700 troops based in Poland would be on stand-by to be deployed to Iraq if needed.
Each loss is so terrible. Prayers for the souls of these brave soldiers.
Prayers for the families of the dead, and prayers for complete healings of the wounded.
Prayers for the souls of these noble warriors, and may God grant comfort to their families.
Poti your parents don’t taught you any culture I see. It is bad theme for your poor ironies.
I'm so sorry to read this, prayers for their families. (I see the article managed to work in the "new information" about troop size cuts.)
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