U.S. troops came under fire from a group of people the coalition says were trying to cross illegally into Iraq from Syria on Wednesday. The resulting gun battle left several of the alleged infiltrators dead.
| "Welcome to Iraq. You may fire when ready, Gridley." |
A U.S. observation helicopter was forced down after being hit by small-arms fire during the skirmish, but no U.S. soldiers were reported killed or wounded. The clash began about midnight Tuesday, when ground observers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division noticed a group of people trying to enter Iraq without going through an official crossing. U.S. troops backed by Bradley fighting vehicles and an M-1 tank attempted to contact the group, but were shot at with a rocket-propelled grenade.
U.S. troops returned fire, killing some of the attackers and capturing a small number of others. Coalition officials said that those detained did not have the proper paperwork to cross the border.
| Bet they didn't have a license for the grenade launchers, either. |
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