An artillery attack on a U.S. military base near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul has killed at least 24 people and wounded more than 60 others.
Speaking from Mosul, U.S. Army Brigadier General Carter Ham said the dead and wounded include U.S. military personnel, U.S. and foreign contractors and Iraqi soldiers. Despite earlier reports that mortars and rockets were used in the lunchtime attack on the base's dining hall, the general said the source of the explosion is still under investigation.
In Washington, the White House condemned the attack and vowed to defeat terrorists in Iraq.
In an internet statement, the al-Qaida-linked Army of Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility. The statement's authenticity could not be verified, but the group has figured prominently in Iraq's insurgency.
Insurgents have increased their attacks in Mosul recently, after many of them fled their former stronghold in Fallujah.
Speaking from Mosul, U.S. Army Brigadier General Carter Ham said the dead and wounded include U.S. military personnel, U.S. and foreign contractors and Iraqi soldiers. Despite earlier reports that mortars and rockets were used in the lunchtime attack on the base's dining hall, the general said the source of the explosion is still under investigation.
In Washington, the White House condemned the attack and vowed to defeat terrorists in Iraq.
In an internet statement, the al-Qaida-linked Army of Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility. The statement's authenticity could not be verified, but the group has figured prominently in Iraq's insurgency.
Insurgents have increased their attacks in Mosul recently, after many of them fled their former stronghold in Fallujah.
