Italy under strain after soldier's death
Monday 17 May 2004, 16:09 Makka Time, 13:09 GMT

The Italian government is under new pressure to withdraw its troops
from Iraq following the death of a young soldier in fierce fighting in
the southern city of al-Nasiriyah.

Matteo Vanzan, a 23-year-old corporal from near Venice in northeastern
Italy, died overnight on Sunday of wounds he suffered from mortar fire
during a six-hour battle with forces loyal to the Shia leader Muqtada
al-Sadr.

Italy, which has 3000 troops in the US-led occupation force has
suffered casualties before.

It lost 17 soldiers and two civilians in a massive bomb attack on
their base in al-Nasiriyah on 12 November, and four other civilians
were taken hostage on 12 April, one of whom was murdered two days
later.

But Vanzan was the first soldier killed in battle, and his mother
urged the government in a television interview hours after his death
to "bring the others home," adding: "It's not fair to leave them there
to die."

The fighting was so heavy, the Italians were forced to abandon a
command post overlooking one of the main bridges in the city.

The defence ministry said five other Italian soldiers were injured,
while a hospital official in al-Nasiriyah said at least nine Iraqis
were killed and 14 injured.


http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/AE06DCAE-8405-4782-A9F9-0B4E3D4472BA.htm