A U.S. soldier was killed during fighting in Najaf, the military said Friday. The soldier, from a special forces unit, was killed during a raid on Thursday on a school in the holy city of Najaf, The AP reported.
Meanwhile, armed men abducted a British journalist from his hotel in the southern city of Basra after shooting him twice in the leg, officials said Friday. After a few hours the man was freed.
About 30 gunmen, including some dressed as police, stormed the Diyafah Hotel in Basra on Thursday, Capt. Hashem Abdullah told The AP.
Hotel owner Mohammed Uglah conveyed the journalist, reportedly working for the Sunday Telegraph, was shot twice in the leg before being led to an undisclosed site.
In London, Sunday Telegraph Deputy Editor Matthew d'Ancona confirmed the newspaper was pursuing reports that James Brandon, a journalist who had written stories for the paper, had been taken hostage. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
