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Stryker soldiers fend off suicide attacks during border town fight

Jul-18-2005 » Filed Under: 1/25 SBCT

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By Matthew Cox, Navy Times

RAWAH, Iraq — Insurgent forces launched two suicide car bomb attacks against U.S. soldiers Monday in the second day of fighting in this small city near the Syrian border.

The first suicide attack came at 2:45 p.m., as soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment were patrolling the streets of the city, located in southwestern Iraq just north of the Euphrates River.

That’s when a car bomb detonated near one of 2-14’s three Stryker combat vehicles. None of the soldiers inside the armored vehicle were injured, but the explosion set ablaze a nearby Iraqi fuel tanker.

The patrol quickly started hunting for a white sedan, believed to be the spotter vehicle in the attack.

Within minutes, a quick-reaction force made of about 30 soldiers from 1st Platoon of B Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment rolled out of a newly established combat outpost three kilometers north to re-enforce the patrol.

On the way, 1st Platoon leader 1st Lt. Matthew Uremovich was directed to the bridge crossing the river on the city’s west end , where elements of the patrol had stopped a white sedan .

A military-aged male stood with his hands up near the vehicle as Uremovich’s Stryker crosses the bridge. Just then a pickup truck approached rapidly in the opposite lane.

From inside the Stryker, Staff Sgt. Jason Hughes rotated the remotely-operated .50 caliber machinegun atop the vehicle and fired off a three-round burst at the truck. The pickup exploded violently within 50 feet of the Stryker.

Uremovich, who was standing up in the front hatch of the Stryker, ducked down as the truck disintegrates, hurling the engine block into the front of the armored vehicle. “Everybody OK?!” Hughes shouts, turning around to check the nine infantrymen and two Army Times reporters in the back of the vehicle.

Again, no Americans are injured in the blast. [...]

The story continues with more details on the engagement.


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