U.S. troops killed seven men in a gun battle with an armed gang trying to steal fuel from a pipeline near the Iraqi town of Samarra, a U.S. army spokesman said Monday. An Iraqi citizen led U.S. troops late Sunday to a group of about 40 thieves men, armed with AK-47 assault rifles, who were trying to siphon fuel from a stretch of pipeline 11 miles north of Samarra, Sergeant Robert Cargie of the 4th Infantry Division told reporters in Tikrit. The bandits, who had between 10 and 15 trucks, shot at the soldiers as they came forward to capture them, he said.
"You’ll never take us aliv...Ouch!"
"Nice shooting, Sarge."
The troops returned fire with rifles and a 125 mm cannon on a Bradley fighting vehicle, killing seven of the thieves.
Unless they’ve seriously up-gunned the Bradley, that should be a 25mm chain gun or the 12.5mm (50 cal) machine gun.
"Three fuel trucks and one transport truck were destroyed," Cargie said. He said the thieves did not succeed in breaching the pipeline. |