U.S. bomb hits observers on Kuwaiti range; 6 dead

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. Navy jet accidentally bombed a group of observers Monday during a training flight in Kuwait, killing six people.

The dead include five Americans and a military observer from New Zealand, according to U.S. officials. The U.S. Pentagon said at least five people were wounded, including two Kuwaitis. All were watching a joint U.S.-Kuwaiti exercise on a bombing range in northwestern Kuwait at the time of the accident, U.S. officials said.

The wounded were being flown to a U.S. military hospital in Germany.

AUDIO Kuwaiti Military Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ali al-Muamen: "We are extremely sorry for this tragic incident" 494K/45 sec. AIFF or WAV sound   ALSO NZ demands explanation for bomb death F-18 is nation's first strike-fighter   INTERACTIVE Technical details of the F/A-18C Hornet   RESOURCE Fatal military accidents over the last year   MESSAGE BOARD Accident in Kuwait

Lt. Gen. Ali al-Muaman, Kuwait's military chief of staff, expressed his "deepest condolences" to those killed in the accident.

"We are extremely sorry for this tragic incident, which happened to our comrades-in-arms from the U.S. armed forces," al-Muaman told CNN.

The accident occurred about 7:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m. EST) when a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman dropped a 500-pound bomb during the training exercise. U.S. and Kuwaiti forces routinely fly joint training missions at the Udairi training ground, about 31 miles (50 kilometers) south of the Iraqi border.

Speaking in Florida on Monday, President Bush said the accident was a reminder of the dangers faced by U.S. service members. He led a moment of silence before a speech promoting his tax-cut plan. "God bless," Bush said.

U.S. forces have operated from bases in Kuwait and have trained with the Kuwaiti military since the 1991 Persian Gulf War, when a Western-Arab coalition pushed Iraqi troops out of the emirate.

The Hornet is the Navy's primary ground attack plane and also serves as a fighter. The supersonic jet first flew in 1978 and has been in service since 1983.

Aircraft from the Truman and bases in Kuwait were used to strike at Iraqi air defense targets near the Iraqi capital Baghdad last month.

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U.S. Navy
  • Navy Fact File: F/A-18 Hornet Aircraft
  • USS Harry S. Truman
F/A-18 Hornet (from Boeing.com)
U.S. Air Force
The Pentagon: Headquarters of the United States Department of Defense
New Zealand Ministry of Defence
Exercise Intrinsic Action begins
FAS.org: Exercise Intrinsic Action

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