1,200 Iraqi police and army soldiers fall ill after meal

dpa German Press Agency
Published: Monday October 9, 2006

Baghdad- Some 1,200 Iraqi police and army soldiers fell sick Monday at their base in Noamaniya after eating their evening meal to break their daily Ramadan Fast, police sources said. Sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that the soldiers had chicken and other meat for their meal the evening before.

Dozens of the victims were transferred to the base hospital and to hospitals in the town by ambulances, civilian cars and American helicopters. The town is located 120 kilometers south of Baghdad.

It was the first incident of its kind at the Noamaniya base which trains Iraqi police and army soldiers.

The base is supplied with food by Arab and Iraqi companies.

Iraqi police arrested a number of suspects and were investigating the incident.

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency