Dutch Soldiers Come Under Fire In Southern Iraq

THE HAGUE, Aug 17 (AFP) - Dutch soldiers stationed in southern Iraq came under fire in Ar Rumaythah overnight but no one was hurt, a spokesman for the Dutch army said Tuesday.
"There was a short exchange of fire after the patrol was fired upon with small calibre weapons," army spokesman Nico van der Zee told AFP.
Several hours after the initial attack two mortars were fired on the Dutch camp near Ar Rumaythah but they missed the base.
The 160 soldiers stationed at the camp spent several hours in a bunker after the mortars were fired, Van der Zee said.
"It is not the first time this sort of incident happens," the spokesman added.
On Saturday a Dutch soldier was killed and five others were severely wounded after a patrol was fired upon outside Ar Rumaythah.
In all the Dutch have some 1,300 troops stationed in the Muthanna province in southern Iraq which is under British command.