A stone-throwing mob of ex-Iraqi soldiers charged at U.S. soldiers Saturday near a former military airport in central Baghdad where US troops have a large base. The Americans fired shots in the air to drive back the protesters.
An Abrams tank and Bradley fighting vehicle were at the scene. Demonstrators shouted "America. No. No." They were demanding jobs and back pay. There were believed to have been some casualties, The AP reported.
A car was set on fire. Rocks littered the street. At least 10 American Humvees with soldiers were in the area and blocked all access. Three ambulances were seen arriving as the protest appeared to die out.
Meanwhile, attacks on US forces raged on. Three attacks were carried out on Iraqi police officials and occupation forces late Friday in the northern city of Kirkuk, but there were no reported casualties, a police official told AFP.
At 10:00 pm (1900 GMT), a grenade was hurled at the home of the city's police chief, Sabah Bahlul Karatun, said Khattab Abdullah, director of Kirkuk's emergency police unit, but no one was home.
Ten minutes later, an attacker threw a grenade at the Al-Rashid restaurant popular with US soldiers in Kirkuk, but it was not clear if anyone was injured.
The Al-Mikdad police station also came under fire when gunmen pulled up in a car and sprayed gunfire, sparking a 10-minute shoot-out that produced no injuries. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
