US Troops Fire Back On Suicide Bombers In Baghdad

(NewsCore) - American troops were among those who fired back to repel a coordinated suicide attack on an Iraqi army complex that killed 12 Sunday, just days after U.S. forces officially ended combat operations in the country.

The attack occurred Sunday morning at Rusafa military command headquarters, which, three weeks ago, was hit by a massive suicide bombing that killed dozens of young men preparing to sign up for the army.

Accounts varied between witnesses and U.S. and Iraqi forces, but the capital's security command said five suicide bombers had approached the military compound in a minibus.

One of the attackers exited the vehicle and his suicide vest detonated when he was shot, Baghdad operations command said in a statement.

Two others left the minibus and fled to a nearby building, while the remaining two drove the vehicle toward the soldiers, setting off their bombs before they could be stopped.

Lieutenant Colonel Eric Bloom said a team of U.S. military advisers was stationed at the complex, and when the attack occurred, their security team provided "suppressive fire" against the last two insurgents, who were hiding in the nearby building.

"They provided suppressive fire while the Iraqi army got into position to go in [to the building]. There was some return fire -- the insurgents were firing down into the compound.’

"It went on for mere minutes, it was over very quickly."

Under the terms of a bilateral security pact, U.S. soldiers are allowed to return fire in self-defense and take part in operations if requested by their Iraqi counterparts.

Bloom could not say how many American soldiers were involved in the firing, but said none were wounded. He added that the U.S. military had provided bomb disposal support as well as surveillance with drones and Apache helicopters.

Sunday's explosion was the biggest to hit Baghdad since the August 17 recruitment center attack and it came four days after U.S. forces officially transformed their role in Iraq from a combat mission to an "advise and assist" operation.

Copyright 2010 AFP. All rights reserved.