Blast in Iraq Kills European Troops

A military convoy was hit by an explosion in the southern part of Iraq, killing 3 Italians and 1 Romanian and wounding at least 2 other Italians.

According to Maj. Marco Mele, a spokesman for the Italian military, the convoy of 4 armored vehicles was hit by a roadside bomb in Nasiriya just before 9 a.m., killing an Italian soldier, two Italian Carabinieri, members of the military police (MP) corps, and one Romanian MP.

The vehicles were on their way to relieve troops at the local Iraqi police station in the city of Nasiriyah, according to the statement. They were carrying an Italian Army officer, 15 troops with the Carabinieri paramilitary police and the Romanian, said the Defense Ministry in the statement.

More than 2,000 Italian troops are stationed in Nasiriyah. Italy has 2,600 troops stationed in Iraq and plans to withdraw them by the end of this year. Since the beginning of the war, 29 Italian troops have lost their lives, while this is the first Romanian to have died.

A total of 2,604 troops in the U.S.-led coalition have been killed in the war.

"This is a tragedy for the whole of Italy," Prime Minister-in-waiting Romano Prodi said in a statement. Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, Italy's President, expressed his "dismay and immense grief" for the terrible incident. Romania's Defense Ministry confirmed the death of the Romanian soldier.