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21 years after the tragic attack

Honouring the Bulgarian heroes of Karbala

Photo: BTA

It is 21 years since the truck bomb attack on the "India" base in Karbala, which killed 5 soldiers from the first Bulgarian contingent in Iraq. 

In Karlovo, members of the 61st Mechanised Brigade paid their respects by laying wreaths and flowers at the monument to those who died in the fight against global terrorism.

In Ruse, relatives, friends and comrades-in-arms paid their respects at the grave of officer cadet Anton Petrov, who died at the age of 26.

The "India" commemorative sports event in memory of the fallen brought together military personnel and young people in Smolyan. For the first time, American soldiers took part. Among those attending the memorial event was Todor Stankov, the sniper from the Bulgarian contingent at the time, who eliminated the driver of the truck bomb.

We live with the memories, it is important for us to keep alive the memory of the dead, Todor Stankov told BTA.

On 27 December 2003, at 11:45 a.m., the base was attacked by a truck bomb. The suicide bomber's hands were tied to the steering wheel so that the machine could not stop even after the military opened fire. A powerful explosion followed seconds later. The attack claimed the lives of Major Georgi Kachorin, First Lieutenant Nikolay Saraev, Officer Candidate Anton Petrov, Officer Candidate Ivan Indjov and Officer Candidate Svilen Kirov.



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