Toddlers killed in US air strikes on Iraq
Updated on 21 October 2007
Two toddlers have been killed by US air strikes which left another 13 people dead and at least 69 wounded in a Shi'ite stronghold of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
As doctors treated wounded men and boys, the bodies of the two young children, one in a nappy, lay on crumpled blankets in the morgue of Imam Ali hospital in Sadr City - the main stronghold in Baghdad for the Mehdi Army, a Shi'ite militia loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
Clouds of black smoke rose from Sadr City as sirens wailed, heavy gunfire echoed and US attack helicopters circled overhead, according to television reports.
A visibly-upset man held up a photo of one of the dead children in a house where one of the toddlers lived and pointed to bloodstained mattresses and blood-splattered pillows.
Outside the house, a woman said: "We were waking in the morning and all of a sudden rockets landed in the house and the children were screaming."
In a statement, the US military said: "The operation's objective was an individual reported to be a long-time special groups member specialising in kidnapping operations.
"Upon arrival, the ground force began to clear a series of buildings in the target area when they were engaged by machinegun fire and rocket propelled grenades from adjacent structures. Supporting aircraft was called in to suppress the enemy fire, killing an estimated six criminals."
The statement added that the operation targeted "criminals believed to be responsible for the kidnapping of coalition soldiers in November 2006 and May 2007".
On May 12, three US soldiers were kidnapped south of the capital and the body of one of the soldiers was found later that month.
On October 23, a US army translator of Iraqi descent, was kidnapped while visiting relatives, including his Iraqi wife, in Baghdad, and his family claim he was taken by Mehdi Army members.
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