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Report: Marines wounded in fighting late Wednesday in Iraq
The Associated Press
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - At least 25 Marines from Camp Lejeune were injured during house-to-house fighting that began Wednesday night in An Nasiriyah, according to a WTVD-TV reporter traveling with the troops. Keith Garvin, reporting live Wednesday evening - about 2 a.m. in Baghdad - said the Marines were wounded over the past few hours in combat that had picked up "quite a bit in the last 10 minutes or so." He reported late Wednesday night that none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening.
Civilians living behind a Marine camp at An Nasiriyah were seen setting up bunkers in the afternoon, and military officials "said they had heard or felt that something bad was going to happen tonight," Garvin reported.
Intelligence reports indicated 2,000 Iraqi troops were advancing on the camp, and a two-hour fight with missiles and artillery ensued, ultimately augmented by aerial bombing, he said.
Garvin said some of the Iraqi fighters were using women as shields and had given guns to children.
"Unfortunately some of the children have been firing at our Marines and our Marines have been forced to defend themselves," he said.
The wounded appeared to be in addition to 15 Lejeune Marines who have been reported injured during the Iraqi conflict. Eleven Lejeune Marines have died, nine in combat in the An Nasiriyah area and two in accidents.