Military: Blast which killed 9 U.S. soldiers caused building to collapse

Above: A sargeant from the attacked unit and an Iraqi army corporal organize rounds at an Iraqi army station in As Sadah, where the attack took place. The picture was taken in February, and it is not known if this the outpost that was attacked.

Many of the casualties in Monday’s twin truck bomb attack on a U.S. combat outpost in Baqouba came when the second floor of the building collapsed after the blast, military officials said early Wednesday.

Nine soldiers were killed and 20 other troops were wounded in the attack in As Sadah.

The attack began with small-arms fire, quickly followed by the approach of two trucks laden with explosives, military officials said Wednesday. One of the trucks detonated around 30 meters from the patrol base, while the other hit the outer wall and detonated.

“The explosive blast from the second truck ruptured the wall of the patrol base building, collapsing the second floor and causing the majority of the soldier casualties,” the military said in a statement.

Read the rest at Stars and Stripes

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