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Posted on Sat, Mar. 22, 2003

Attack Injures 10 U.S. Troops in Kuwait
Associated Press

KUWAIT CITY - The camp of the 101st Airborne Division in Kuwait was attacked early Sunday with grenades and small arms fire, wounding 10, including six seriously, U.S. military officials said.

"From our reports it appears that a terrorist penetrated Camp Pennsylvania, one or more terrorists threw two hand grenades into a tent," said George Heath, spokesman at Fort Campbell, home base of the 101st.

He said 10 people were wounded, six seriously.

The injured were rushed to a field hospital but military officials had no word on their conditions, Lt. Cmdr. Charles Owens said from Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar.

The attack, which included small arms fire, happened at a rear base camp of the 101st, near the Iraqi border, U.S. military officials said.

The military did not identify the unit of the 101st that was in the camp but said it had been in Kuwait for about one week.

Most of the division has entered southern Iraq.

The attack was the fourth against Americans in Kuwait since October. Kuwait was the main launching point for the thousands of ground forces who have entered Iraq.

Three Kuwaitis were arrested last month on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks on U.S. forces.

The men were described as Muslim extremists who followed the principles of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. The arrests followed several attacks against Americans in Kuwait.

On Jan. 21, Islamic extremists were blamed for killing a San Diego computer contractor and injuring another American close to Camp Doha, where U.S. forces are based.

A Kuwaiti policeman faces trial on charges of shooting and seriously wounding two U.S. soldiers on Nov. 21 after allegedly stopping their car on a highway.

In October, Muslim fundamentalists killed one U.S. Marine and injured another on a Kuwaiti island. Other Marines killed the gunmen, who were religious extremists.