European troops die in Iraq explosion

European troops die in Iraq explosion

An explosion has hit a military convoy in southern Iraq, killing at least four coalition troops -- three Italian and one Romanian -- and critically wounding two other Italians, an Italian military spokesman said.

According to Maj. Marco Mele, a roadside bomb hit the convoy of four armored vehicles, killing a Italian soldier, two Italian Carabinieri -- members of the military police (MP) corps -- and one Romanian MP.

The attack took place in Nasiriya just before 9 a.m. (1 a.m. EDT).

Twenty-nine Italian troops have been killed since the beginning of the war; this is the first Romanian troop to die. A total of 2,604 troops in the U.S.-led coalition have died in the war, reports CNN.

I.L.