arsenale missilistico espode a Bagdad, un massacro dice Al Jazzera

[animarg at tin.it]

Iraqi civilians and US tank crew killed in ill-planned decommissioning operation

 
Many Iraqi civilians and a US tank crew died today when a huge explosion
destroyed around twenty houses in Baghdad, Al Jazeera channel reported.

The explosion is the result of US marines attempting to decommission Iraqi
munitions and rockets left by Saddam Hussein?s army in the Atayfiyya residential
quarter of the capital.

 
Iraqi arsenal destruction kills US tank crew and many Iraqi residents 

Our correspondent reports that a US tank was completely burned out with
its two crew members still inside, suggesting that when the munitions were
detonated, missiles launched in all directions, one slamming into the tank.

A local journalist, Aasim Jihad, who owns one of the houses destroyed by
the huge explosion says that the Marines came across a sizeable arsenal
of weapons in the Atayfiyya quarter and decided to destroy it immediately.
Many local residents of Atafiyya pleaded with the US troops to remove the
munitions far away from the district, fearing for their safety. However,
these calls fell on deaf ears and the US soldiers fired a shell on the arsenal
which exploded at once.

Jihad also explained to Al Jazeera that part of the arsenal contained over
200 missiles ? Austrian in origin ? and that the resulting explosion was
like an inferno, emitting a terrifying explosion. The number of dead was
increased by the fact that many other rockets flew off in all directions,
some landing on houses of local residents.

The number of dead and wounded  cannot be estimated at this time due to
the severity of the wreckage. There are no emergency teams available, nor
can ambulances and fire engines make their way to the fierce fires now raging.
Looting and general lawlessness have prevented any organized responses to
severe security and life threatening emergencies.

The explosion has also cut water to the residential quarter, adding to the
already numerous concerns of those living near the scene. Their electricity
had failed over a week ago. -- Al Jazeera