40 killed, 90 wounded by explosion near mosque in Mahmudiyah

Baghdad, Iraq
July 17, 2006

Initial reports indicate 40 Iraqi citizens were killed and 90 wounded Monday morning when terrorists stormed a market area near the Mohammed Al Amin Mosque in Mahmudiyah.

Iraqi Security Forces and Soldiers from Multi-National Division – Baghdad immediately responded to the attack.

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, responded to explosions in the area at approximately 9:15 a.m. and began taking small-arms fire from unknown assailants southwest of the mosque while performing a cordon and search for a suspicious vehicle in the neighborhood.

Meanwhile, Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, reported seeing an explosion in the same area. The Soldiers reported two buildings on fire and notified the Mahmudiyah fire department.

IA and MND-B Soldiers continued to receive small-arms fire and reported hearing seven more explosions.

An explosive ordnance disposal team arrived at the scene of the explosions and determined the explosions had been made by grenades. Reports from witnesses confirmed their findings, saying there had been a large number of terrorists throwing grenades in the market.

Iraqi army soldiers conducted a search of the area and found two suspected terrorists in a nearby house with two rocket-propelled grenades, an AK-47 rifle and a bag containing an unknown number of grenades.

The suspects were taken into custody...
(Above courtesy of Multi-National Corps, Iraq- Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory APO AE 09342 and taken from Press Release No. 20060717-03)