This report is from Corriere della Sera
A powerful explosion rocked the HQ of Italian Carabinieri in Nassiriya at 08:40 Italian time. There are 15 dead so far: 11 carabinieri, 3 military personnel and one civilian. According to Defense Minister Antonio Martino, there would normally approximately 60 Italian military personnel in the building at the hour of the explosion. It is expected that the death toll will rise. Al Jazeera reports that at least 30 Iraqi were also killed.
According to Coalition spokesman Andrea Angeli, there are numerous Italian victims buried in the rubble. The building was destroyed by an expolosion of a truck packed with explosives drive by 1 or possibly 2 suicide bombers. Angeli said that the wounded were being evacuated by helicopter. Others were being treated at the Nassiriya Hospital near Tallil where medical staff and Red Cross personnel, including the Coalition's Italian Medical Coordinator, Dr. Giuseppe Gibbino, were summoned to treat the injured. Angeli also stated that among the victims were Carabinieri who had almost completed their 4-month tour of service and who were about to be repatriated together with Commander Georg di Paoli on November 15.
The Italian HQ, dubbed "Animal House", was located near the offices of the Chamber of Commerce along the Euphrates River. The explosion was set off by at least 2 suicide bombers in front of the building complex. At 10:40 am a truck ran through the building checkpoint and continued until it came to a stop in front of the 3-story structure housing the Logistics Section. The truck exploded, together with a vehicle following it. The violence of the explosion severely damaged a second structure 300 feet away where the Italian Command offices were located. All windows were blown out and other fixtures were severly damaged. A third building was destroyed which housed the offices of an American NGO, the International Medical Corps. There wer 10 wounded, including the British coordinator, Emar Triangle.
A violent fire resulted from the explosion destroying jeeps, Land Rovers, service vans and a truck parked in the vicinity. The entire area war cordoned off by surviving Carabinieri, troops from the Sassari Brigade, and personnel from the Engineering Corps.
The tragedy has been confirmed by General Guido Bellini of the Carabinieri.