50 killed in bombing of Basra: Al-Jazeera

Some 50 people were killed in a bombardment of the southern port of Basra on Saturday by coalition planes.

Some 50 people, including a Russian national, were killed in a bombardment of the southern port of Basra on Saturday by coalition planes, the Qatar-based satellite channel

HT Image

Al-Jazeera

reported.

It said the toll was compiled by its correspondent in the city from one hospital. A large number of people were also wounded in the raids.

Al-Jazeera's Mohammad al-Abdallah, the only foreign correspondent in Basra, said that over the previous two days only the outskirts had been targeted, but on Saturday the bombs hit targets in the city itself.

Coalition planes began their bombardment at 11:30 am (1400 IST) on Satur0day, he said.

A family, with a two-year-old child, were among the 50 killed, Abdullah added, but he did not say if there were soldiers among the victims.