Significant Incident Report: Criminal Act, murder and intimidation

While executing a road repair mission on Route Golden, an Engineer Support Company convoy, Hellbox Five-Six, was approached by three Iraqi nationals who claimed that soldiers of the Iraqi Army wearing civilian clothes had murdered several local merchants. Assisted by a coalition-employed interpreter, the Iraqi nationals led coalition forces to the bodies of five men in the vicinity of the Dra Dijlia Market. The bodies were found bound and blindfolded and appeared to have died from gunshot wounds to the back of the head. When asked by coalition forces how they knew the men had been murdered by members of the Iraqi Army, the locals claimed it was common knowledge in the area that Iraqi soldiers were members of a Shiite death squad. The bodies were turned over to the local Iraqi Highway Patrol, and coalition forces continued their mission.

Respectfully submitted,

P. E. Donovan