Marine Corps Gazette – As the column of Marines advanced north to secure a strategic Euphrates River bridge just south of the city of An Nasiriyah they observed Iraqi soldiers along the roadside who appeared to be surrendering. Upon approaching them, the Iraqis opened fire with assault rifles and rocket propelled grenades. The Marines took cover in and around their assault amphibious vehicles and began to return fire, and then, in an incident tragically reminiscent of an engagement that occurred 12 years earlier during Operation Desert Storm, a U.S. Air Force Añ10 Thunderbolt strafed the columnódestroying one of the vehicles and killing as many as nine Marines.
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