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Mortars fired near Iraqi PM

Oct-21-2004 » Filed Under: Iraq News

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By Lin Noueihed

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Rebels have fired several mortar rounds in Iraq's northern city of Mosul in an attack possibly aimed at visiting interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.

Journalists accompanying Allawi on Thursday heard about five blasts as the prime minister's party was about to leave the city. Moments later a small blaze and plume of black smoke could be seen by those aboard the helicopters taking his entourage away.

Asked if he thought the mortar barrage was meant for him, Allawi told reporters: "It was known that I was coming to Mosul, so I was certainly surprised that this did not happen at the beginning (of my trip), but at the end."

There were no reports of casualties from the mortar rounds, which landed a few streets away from the prime minister's party.

Earlier this week, a mortar round landed at a stadium used as a makeshift weapons collection point in Baghdad's Sadr City slum district shortly before Allawi was due to arrive there. Three people, including two Iraqi National Guards, were killed.

Allawi described that attack as an "accident", but said he may have been targeted this time around...

"Maybe this one wasn't by mistake but this is not a deterrent really," he said. "This is yet another sign that there are people who came and are coming from outside Iraq who are determined to put a stop to our progression forward and we are not going to allow this and nor will the Iraqi people."


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