Baghdad, 26 October 2003 (RFE/RL) -- United States military officials say a number of people have been injured in a rocket attack this morning on the Al-Rasheed Hotel in Iraq's capital Baghdad. U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, who was in the hotel complex, escaped the attack unhurt.
After the incident, Wolfowitz said he had an unconfirmed report that one American was killed when several missiles were fired on the hotel. U.S. officials had previously said up to 15 people were injured in the incident.
U.S. military officials said six to eight rockets hit the hotel early this morning. U.S. civilian and military personnel stay in the Al-Rasheed Hotel, which is located in an area tightly protect by U.S. forces.
Wolfowitz said the attack will not deter the United States from helping "the Iraqi people free themselves from the types of criminals who did this and protect the American people from this kind of terrorism."
He added that U.S. forces will be "unrelenting" in the pursuit of what he called a "few" who are deterring the United States from its mission to stabilize Iraq.
Wolfowitz is on his second trip to Iraq in the past three months.
After the incident, Wolfowitz said he had an unconfirmed report that one American was killed when several missiles were fired on the hotel. U.S. officials had previously said up to 15 people were injured in the incident.
U.S. military officials said six to eight rockets hit the hotel early this morning. U.S. civilian and military personnel stay in the Al-Rasheed Hotel, which is located in an area tightly protect by U.S. forces.
Wolfowitz said the attack will not deter the United States from helping "the Iraqi people free themselves from the types of criminals who did this and protect the American people from this kind of terrorism."
He added that U.S. forces will be "unrelenting" in the pursuit of what he called a "few" who are deterring the United States from its mission to stabilize Iraq.
Wolfowitz is on his second trip to Iraq in the past three months.