Three Aussies hurt in Baghdad blast

[digrar]

Three Aussies hurt in Baghdad blast
18:58 AEST Mon Oct 25 2004

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8691

http://img95.exs.cx/img95/4739/2510_baghdad_a_lg.jpg

Three Australian soldiers have been injured in an explosion near the Australian embassy in Baghdad.

Australian Defence Force spokesman Brigadier Mike Hannan told reporters an Australian convoy of three armoured personnel carriers were attacked.

An explosive device hidden in a separate vehicle caused the blast, he said.

Two Australian vehicles were damaged and three Australian soldiers were injured.

Mr Hannan said Iraqi civilians were also injured, clarifying earlier reports that two Iraqi civilians had died.

One of the Australians had received facial injuries, another was concussed, and the third was treated for minor abrasions and had been released.




"There were no diplomats travelling with the convoy at the time of the incident," Brig Hannan said.

The blast occurred about 1500 AEST (0800 Baghdad time) about 350 metres from the Australian embassy in Baghdad, he said.

Brig Hannan said the incident was the first time Australian vehicles had been directly attacked in Iraq.

Photos showed Australian light armoured vehicles, their tyres burst by the force of the blast, being towed away by other coalition vehicles.

Brig Hannan said a fairly substantial bomb had been used in the attack on the Australian vehicles, two of which had been damaged. A third escaped damage.

The three injured Australians were treated in a nearby US medical facility and next of kin were being informed.

Brig Hannan said the detachment was on a routine task when the attack occurred.

"Iraq is a dangerous place and I think this only goes to underline that," he told Channel Nine.

"But the fact this fairly substantial bomb was exploded and we suffered such minor casualties indicates the quality of our security and the quality of the protection that we are providing both to our soldiers and our diplomats."

He said the main role of the 70 Australian soldiers in Baghdad was to maintain security around the embassy and to protect Australian diplomatic staff.

Brig Hannan said Australian security in Iraq was being reviewed all the time.

"We'll be looking at this very quickly and if there are lessons to be learned and changes to be made they will made within hours."

"This is the first time Australians have been attacked, be it opportunistic or planned," Brig Hannan said.

There was no information on who may have carried out the attack, he said.

Brig Hannan said the military convoys are charged with protecting the members of the Australian mission when travelling in Baghdad.

"They will continue to do their job and our capacity to do it has not bee diminished," he said.

The task is carried out using Australian light armoured vehicles, which Brig Hannan said may have helped prevent further injuries to the Australians.

"If we had a lesser type of vehicle there ... then there is a good possibility there might have been more severe consequences," he said.

The damaged vehicles were a gun vehicle and an armoured personnel carrier, both of which will be recovered and repaired.

Brig Hannan had no details on how many soldiers were in the convoy but a vehicle would normally carry a crew of about two or three.

The latest attack comes a week after Australian troops escaped injury when a car bomb exploded at a cafe near the Australian embassy.

Brig Hannan said procedures in Iraq would be reviewed as a result of the blast.

"Every time we receive new information or there's an incident on the ground we review our procedures and security to ensure we've got the best possible options in place to protect our people," he said.

Brig Hannan could not say if the attack would accelerate plans to move the Australian embassy into the heavily-fortified Green Zone in Baghdad.




©AAP 2004

[seruriermarshal]

God bless Australian soldiers .

:|

[PJ]

They are some of our best allies :hug:

[ShotOver]

Lucky it wasnt serious.
DigRAR, thats the 3RAR over there isnt it?

Godbless them.

[gruntsuck]

Nah mate I think its 5/7RAR not sure though

[garoco]

Thanks for the pics. One of my former soldiers is a 2CAV driver, hopefully Luke wasn't involved in this incident as it was three 2CAV guys wounded.

[digrar]

I'm pretty sure it's 5/7RAR at the moment. Only 2CAV blokes hurt though. Hope the boys have a speedy recovery and a incendent free rest of tour.

[ShotOver]

Vehicle's design left commander exposed
October 26, 2004

THREE Australians injured in yesterday's ambush were aboard an armoured vehicle which has been criticised for leaving soldiers too vulnerable to attack.

While the army's fleet of Australian light armoured vehicles (ASLAVs) can carry troops across the most treacherous terrain, its ability to withstand heavy fire has been questioned.

The eight-wheel vehicle's commander stands on a platform with his head and upper torso exposed, vulnerable to sudden attack.

When Iraqi militants struck an armoured vehicle 350m from the Australian Embassy yesterday, the commander is believed to have taken the brunt of the explosion.

A second soldier suffered only minor concussion, a testament to the vehicle's armour-clad design.

The army's 12 ASLAV personnel carriers are one of the major forms of transport for Australian troops moving through Baghdad's deadly streets. The vehicle has also seen action in East Timor.

With cars considered too dangerous for everyday travel, Australian diplomats and visiting dignitaries are also ferried around in the armoured carriers.

Reports that the convoy may have been escorting the Australian ambassador were dismissed last night.

"It was a military convoy and none of our staff was involved. Our personnel are accounted for and uninjured," a spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.

The 13-tonne vehicles are fitted with a 12.7mm machine gun fitted on the commander's station, but this was of little use when the enemy struck unseen about 8am Baghdad time.

The vehicle is largely defensive in design, with no provision for troops in the main hull to use their weapons should they come under fire.

Inside, the ASLAV has bench seating large enough for seven troops and two crew members.

"They provide a secure means of travelling around the countryside," Defence spokesman Brigadier Mike Hannan said last night.

"The fact that we have these quite powerful armoured vehicles to do this job is probably the main reason we didn't suffer casualties today."

Last June, Defence Minister Robert Hill ordered an $11 million security upgrade of the vehicles after critics suggested troops were at risk because of design faults. The interior linings of the vehicles were strengthened to give greater protection against attack from rocket-propelled grenades and high-powered gunfire.

The Daily Telegraph
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11182958%255E421,00.html

[Aussie E]

from www.thwaustralian.news.com.au
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,391044,00.jpg
Diggers bombed in Baghdad
John Kerin
October 26, 2004
AUSTRALIAN troops have suffered their first direct attack since the Iraq war began, with three Australian soldiers injured in a suspected suicide bomb assault on an armoured vehicle convoy in Baghdad.

The three-vehicle convoy, which protects Australia's diplomats, was hit when a bomber drove a car laden with explosives into it about 8am (3pm AEST), killing three Iraqi civilians and wounding 16 others, including the three Australians.

The attack, which happened 350m from the Australian embassy outside the city's fortified Green Zone, came as the convoy was believed to be on routine patrol or having returned from dropping off a diplomat. There were no diplomats with it at the time.

Defence Force spokesman Brigadier Mike Hannan said one of the soldiers was undergoing surgery last night for facial injuries, another was concussed and the third was treated for minor abrasions and released.

He said the injured were taken to a US medical facility and their families were contacted.

"An Australian convoy of light armoured vehicles was attacked by an improvised explosive vehicle," Brigadier Hannan said.

"Three Australians were injured in the incident but fortunately their injuries were not life-threatening.

"This is the first time Australians have been attacked, be it opportunistic or planned."

An Iraqi policeman said he was "at the intersection nearby when the suicide bomber crossed through a military convoy and blew himself up. "I saw one armoured truck damaged and two lifeless bodies as well as several wounded," he said.

However, US major Scott Stanger said the explosives were hidden inside a taxi parked beside the road, and the bomb detonated by remote control when the convoy drove by.

Hospitals said 13 Iraqi civilians, including four young children, were brought in with injuries.

The damaged vehicles were a gun vehicle and an armoured personnel carrier, both of which will be recovered and repaired.

Brigadier Hannan had no details on how many soldiers were in the convoy but a vehicle would normally carry a crew of about two or three.

Fortunately the incident comes after the vehicles had been modified with reinforced armour and remotely controlled guns to ensure crews did not have to stick their heads up to respond to attacks.

Australian troops have also been issued with new lighter, tougher personal body armour.

Wail Alubayde, an Iraqi journalist on the scene last night, told the Nine Network the attack was an attempt to kill Australian ambassador to Iraq Howard Brown - and that his car had been targeted.

But a spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs last night rejected the claim, saying the neither the ambassador nor any other staff were with the convoy.

The attack, which Defence Minister Robert Hill said was a reminder of the risks taken by troops trying to build a better Iraqi society, came as authorities investigated the mass killing of almost 50 new soldiers in one of the bloodiest attacks against Iraq's fledgling security forces.

The execution-style killing of the unarmed soldiers in the country's east - claimed by a group linked to Iraq's most wanted man, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi - dealt another blow to efforts by the interim Government to restore order ahead of national elections promised by January.

Increasing concerns about further attacks, The New York Times today reported that the Iraqi Government had warned the US and international nuclear inspectors that 380 tonnes of powerful conventional explosives were missing from one of Iraq's former military bases.
Close call for our boys, hopefully evreyone wounded will recover 100%.
Lest We Forget

[Aussie E]

from www.theaustralian.news.com.au

Zarqawi claims attack on Aussies

October 26, 2004
MILITANTS loyal to al-Qaeda-linked rebel Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claim to have carried out the suspected suicide bombing of an Australian convoy in Baghdad.

The overnight claim, made in a statement on an Islamist website, could not be independently verified today.

"One of our lions from the martyrs brigades this morning (yesterday AEST) attacked an Australian convoy that wanted to enter the Green Zone in the Karrada district," it said.

The car bomb exploded alongside the routine patrol near Australia's embassy in Baghdad, injuring three Australian soldiers, killing three Iraqis and wounding 16 other people.

Zarqwi's "Al-Qaeda Group of Jihad in the Land of Two Rivers" recently changed its name from Al-Tawhid wal Jihad (Unity and Holy War), after pledging allegiance to al-Qaeda.

It has claimed responsibility for a string of bombings, kidnappings and killings in Iraq.

Citing witnesses, a US military official at the scene said attackers used a remote control device to detonate a bomb inside a white vehicle as the Australian soldiers drove past in the Karrada district.

However, an Iraqi policeman in Baghdad told how he was "at the intersection nearby when the suicide bomber crossed through a military convoy and blew himself up".

It was the first direct attack on Australia's defence forces in Iraq and occurred just 350m from the Australian embassy.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer last night acknowledged Australians may have been targeted, but said advice suggested it more likely an opportunistic attack.

One of the Australians suffered facial injuries, another was concussed, and the third was treated for minor abrasions.

They are members of the Darwin-based 2nd Cavalry Regiment.

The explosion rocked the residential neighbourhood where the embassy is located, scattered debris and sent a huge cloud of smoke into the sky over the western bank of the Tigris river.

The job of the 90-strong Australian Defence Force security detachment in Baghdad is to protect the Australian embassy and diplomats.

The latest attack comes a week after Australian troops escaped injury when a car bomb exploded at a cafe near the Australian embassy. It also follows the abduction and release 24 hours later of Australian journalist John Martinkus.

Canberra, London and Washington were the founding members of the coalition that led the invasion of Iraq last year. AAP, AFP

[Aussie E]

FROM WWW.THEAUSTRALIAN.NEWS.COM.AU

Injured Aussie soldier evacuated
By Sandra O'Malley
October 26, 2004
ONE of three Australian soldiers injured in a car bomb attack in Baghdad will be evacuated to Germany as authorities investigate whether the media had advance notice of the blast.

The other two injured Australians returned to work following the explosion which left three Iraqis dead and six more injured.

The Federal Government today said it was investigating whether the media in Baghdad might have been tipped off about the attack, which a group loyal to al-Qaeda linked militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed specifically targeted Australian troops.

The claim, made in a statement on an Islamist website, could not be independently verified.

The injured trio became the first Australian casualties in Iraq when their convoy was attacked yesterday with a remotely detonated bomb that had been planted in a parked car.

One of the soldiers, members of a security detachment who are in Iraq to help protect diplomats, received facial injuries, another was concussed, and the third was treated for minor abrasions.

No diplomatic staff were being transported at the time of the attack.

Defence Minister Robert Hill today said the most seriously injured soldier was being flown to Germany for further treatment for his facial injuries.

Lieutenant Colonel Roger Nobel, commanding officer of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, said in Darwin that doctors would consider whether or not to send home the most seriously injured soldier.

"Certainly the two guys who are in good nick will continue on duty, the more seriously injured individual, it's up to the doctors and they will make a decision on whether to repatriate him or not," he said.

The Defence Department has not released the names of the soldiers from the Darwin-based 2nd Cavalry Regiment.

But Victorian woman Amelia Chappelow identified her 24-year-old brother Stuart as suffering minor injuries in the explosion.

Ms Chappelow said she had spoken briefly to her brother, who told her he was fine but did not reveal the extent of his injuries.

Senator Hill said the explosion was believed to be from artillery shells but investigations were ongoing.

"We believe that the source of the explosives was probably artillery shells, (but that is) still to be confirmed," he said.

"Detailed investigations are still taking place seeking to ascertain how it was remotely detonated, confirming the nature of the explosives used to try and get some idea of where the person may have been who remotely detonated the explosives."

The Federal Government still has no idea of whether or not the attack was deliberate but Senator Hill confirmed it had no warning.

"We had no specific warning of this attack, as I said it's a route that is extensively used by coalition vehicles and civilian vehicles."

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer raised the prospect that media in Baghdad might have been alerted before the attack.

Mr Downer said it might be possible that media were close by the location of the attack which occurred 350m from the Australian embassy and near a hotel used by journalists.

"(But) we want to investigate that, just to make sure there wasn't any tipping off going on and prior knowledge anywhere of this attack," he said.

"We're checking up with people in Baghdad, of course, and that work is just getting underway."

Senator Hill said the number of roadside bomb attacks in Iraq using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) had increased in recent months.

He flagged the situation was likely to get worse ahead of Iraqi elections in January.

"The insurgents are clearly determined to defeat that (democratic) exercise," Senator Hill said.

"We have anticipated ... that the violence is likely to increase as those who don't wish to see that process occur really have a limited timeline to defeat it."

[RFSU]

Get well soon lads, and leave those nurses alone! ;)

[Aussie E]

from www.theaustralian.news.com.au

Injured Digger flown to Germany

October 27, 2004
AN Australian soldier injured in a deadly car bomb blast in Baghdad has arrived at a military hospital in Germany for treatment.

A Defence spokeswoman said the unnamed soldier, who was one of three Australians from the Darwin-based 2nd Cavalry Regiment hurt in Monday's blast, would return to Australia after doctors gave him the all clear.

"(He) has been transported to a military hospital in Germany and he has received surgery for facial wounds," she said.

"He is doing well and is in good spirits."

The spokeswoman said the soldier had asked the media not approach him.

His location in Germany is being kept secret in an attempt to keep the media at bay.

The bomb attack killed three Iraqis and injured another six plus two other Australian soldiers, who have since returned to duty.

The three Australian men – a crew commander, driver and gunner – were all in the same armoured vehicle, one of two damaged after the remotely-detonated car bomb went off near the Australian embassy in Baghdad.

The Defence spokeswoman said investigations into the bomb blast had revealed the car involved was loaded with less than 250 pounds of explosives, mainly munitions.

The Australian light armoured vehicle closest to the blast was rendered undriveable after the explosion and was taken to a coalition maintenance area for assessment.

The second Australian vehicle had its tyres blown out.

"We believe the fact that there were no Australian fatalities was because of the robustness of the vehicles," the spokeswoman said.

The bulletproof vests, ballistic goggles and kevlar helmets worn by the Australian soldiers also helped save their lives, she said.

Australian authorities are continuing their investigations into the bombing, including whether the media had advance notice of the blast.