Posted on 03/25/2003 3:23:30 AM PST by kattracks
More than 30 Iraqi corpses seen near Nassiriya
NORTH OF NASSIRIYA, Iraq, March 25 (Reuters) - At least 30 Iraqis who may have been on their way to reinforce the city of Nassiriya were killed on Tuesday in what appeared to be a bombing raid by U.S.-led forces, a Reuters correspondent said.
Sean Maguire said that he counted 20 dismembered bodies by a wrecked bus about 20 km (12 miles) north of the key riverside city in southern Iraq and at least 10 more fresh corpses in the wreckage of another bus, two trucks and two cars.
All seemed to be men and the all the vehicles were facing in the direction of Nassiriya, where U.S. Marines broke through irregular Iraqi militias to cross the Euphrates river on Tuesday.
He also saw men, many of them wounded, taken prisoner by U.S. Marines.
"They were all adult males, some of them wearing the black clothes of Iraqi irregular forces," Maguire said. "There was a large hole in the road and an American military officer said it looked like it had been bombed."
03/25/03 06:13 ET
"Brutal Americans Bomb Civilian Bus Full of Islamic Chiorboys."
More than 30 Iraqi corpses seen near Nassiriya NEAR NASSIRIYA, Iraq, March 25 (Reuters) - At least 30 Iraqis who may have been on their way to reinforce the city of Nassiriya were killed on Tuesday in what seemed to be a bombing by U.S.-led forces, a Reuters correspondent said.
Sean Maguire said he counted at least 20 bodies by a wrecked bus about 20 km (12 miles) north of the key riverside city in southern Iraq and at least 10 more fresh corpses in the wreckage of another bus, two trucks and two cars.
"The blasts were obviously huge," he said. "We saw dismembered bodies, headless corpses and limbs scattered across the road."
Maguire said that he also saw a group of 25-30 male prisoners, apparently survivors of the blasts, being led away by U.S. soldiers. Several of the prisoners were wounded and lying on stretchers.
"They were all adult males, some of them wearing the black clothes of Iraqi irregular forces," Maguire said. "There was a large hole in the road and a (U.S.) military officer said it looked like it was bombed from the air."
It was apparently the largest number of casualties independently witnessed since the start of the U.S.-led war aimed at toppling President Saddam Hussein last Thursday.
All the vehicles were facing towards Nassiriya, where U.S. marines finally forced their way across the Euphrates river earlier on Tuesday after a fierce street battle that opened up a new line of advance towards Baghdad.
No Iraqi weapons were visible around the wrecked vehicles. p>Maguire, who was travelling with units of the First Marine Division, said the U.S.-led convoy did not stop as it drove past the wreckage. He said that other bodies may have been hidden in the vehicles.
He counted two buses overturned and badly burned, two trucks, one overturned, the other ablaze. He also saw two mangled cars, including one with a headlight bizarrely on. 03/25/03 06:51 ET
I don't think so. I remember a report, I think from the Army's 3rd Mech, that they had killed about 45 Iraqi soldiers and only suffered one or two wounded. Maybe this is the largest number seen by a reporter.
Of course, many of the Iraqi casualties are difficult to count - especially after they've been vaporized.
Michael
Probably not a good idea. World opinion is primed to express sympathy over images of dead Iraqi "defenders" that it is not for coalition "invaders." There is no need to stoke bigotry against the operation needlessly.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.