Stryker Brigade News

Four were killed and seven wounded when two Katushya rockets slammed into a crowded Mosul market at midday, U.S. military authorities in Baghdad said.

Two more were killed and 10 people injured - including two coalition soldiers - in a mortar and rocket-propelled grenade attack on a military compound near Tall Afar, about 45 miles west of Mosul.

The military said neither soldier was seriously hurt in the attack, which occurred about 8:45 p.m.

The military did not further identify the troops - for instance, not saying whether they were Americans, or name their military unit.

The release said a 60-year-old Iraqi man and a 10-year-old boy were killed in a third attack - two more Katushya rockets that struck a house in downtown Mosul about 9:50 p.m.

•Senior Army officers confirmed earlier reports that Stryker brigade troops are part of the 2,500-soldier force surrounding the Shiite holy city of Najaf in southern Iraq.

Lt. Gen. Richard Cody, the Army's deputy chief of staff for operations and plans, told Pentagon reporters Thursday that Strykers had been moved south from Mosul. He declined to say how many vehicles and soldiers had made the 300-mile move, or how long they'd stay.

Stryker brigade officials have declined to confirm or provide details about the mission, citing security concerns.

Michael Gilbert: 253-597-8921
mike.gilbert@mail.tribnet.com

Two units from state to remain in Iraq up to four extra months

Two Washington-based Army units are among those that will stay in Iraq up to an extra four months, under an extension approved this week by the Department of Defense.

The units are:

•The 1161st Transportation Company, a Washington National Guard trucking unit from Ephrata. The company's 140 or so soldiers were called to active duty in January and sent to Iraq in March. They were scheduled to return home next month, officials said.

•The 98th Combat Stress Control detachment, an active-duty medical team from Fort Lewis, has been in Iraq since April 2003. The 20 or so soldiers were also scheduled to return home in May.

The Pentagon ordered 20,000 troops, mainly from the 1st Armored Division and the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, to remain in Iraq past their scheduled redeployment dates.

Michael Gilbert, The News Tribune