Bulgarian troops supporting the United States in Iraq were attacked with a grenade launcher in the holy city of Kerbala early on Friday, but there were no casualties, the Defence Ministry said. It was the first attack against Bulgaria’s nearly 500-strong stabilisation force since their arrival earlier this month to help the United States restore order in Iraq after a war that toppled President Saddam Hussein in April. The ministry said in a statement that the Bulgarian troops had launched an operation to track down the attackers. “There were no casualties or material damages,” it said. Bulgaria deployed infantry troops to postwar Iraq as part of a 9,200-strong multinational Polish-led force that is due to take over a south-central zone early next month. Earlier this week the Bulgarian troops took over the military security of Kerbala, previously run by U.S. Marines. Balkan neighbours Bulgaria and Romania, grateful for Washington’s support for their NATO entry bids, backed the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Full Story
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