IRAQ: Thousands of Shia Muslims poured into the streets of a Baghdad neighbourhood yesterday to denounce US troops, who they said had defiled a religious school by flying low in a helicopter, which struck its flag.
"No, no to America!" shouted protesters who flooded the streets of a sprawling suburb populated mainly by poor Shias, who form a long-oppressed majority of Iraq's population.
Meanwhile, a US soldier was killed and another wounded yesterday when their armoured personnel carrier drove over an improvised mine, the third deadly bomb attack on US forces in Iraq in 24 hours.
The soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division were travelling in a convoy south-east of Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit when the mine was detonated, a US spokesman said.
On Tuesday, US convoys were attacked by improvised explosives in Ramadi, a restive Sunni Muslim town west of Baghdad, and near the town of Taji just north of the capital.
The Ramadi attack, which involved three synchronised bombs, killed one 3rd Armoured Division soldier and wounded two. The blast near Taji killed one 4th Infantry Division soldier and wounded two, US military statements said.
Guerrilla attacks on US forces in Iraq have killed at least 59 American soldiers since Washington declared major combat over on May 1st. A military spokesman said the official toll was being raised to include soldiers who died of their wounds after being evacuated from Iraq.
Officers of the 4th Infantry Division said they had killed two Iraqis overnight in two separate gun battles.
In Rashidiya, just north of Baghdad, a man was shot dead after he fired on US troops from a van. Further north near Balad, attackers fired on a US reconnaissance team. Officers said one assailant was killed and the rest fled.
Washington blames Saddam loyalists and some foreign militants who have slipped into the country for the attacks.
Arab television reporting the anti-American demonstration aired film showing a US helicopter flying low over a tower where a black flag was flying. Its wheel appeared to touch the religious banner.
A military spokesman said he knew of no incidents in the area. A Shia cleric in the neighbourhood said US troops had defiled a sacred place.
"We request that no American soldier enter this city. The presence of American soldiers shakes security and causes terrorism. This is an aggression on the sacred Muslim places," said Sheikh Qays.
The area was known as Saddam City under Saddam Hussein, who oppressed the Shia majority, but locals now call it Sadr City after a prominent late cleric. - (Reuters)