Home burial for Romanian soldier killed in Iraq

The first Romanian soldier killed in a mission in Iraq, was buried with all military honors in his home city of Iasi on Sunday, in the vicinity of the tombs of Romanian soldiers killed in the two world wars. Corporal Bogdan Hancu and three Italian soldiers were killed Thursday in a bomb attack while on patrol in the Southern Iraqi city of Nassyria.

He was buried in the Eternitatea cemetery in Iasi.

According to existing legislation, the Hancu family will receive a considerable amount of support from the Romanian state taking into account that as a soldier Bogdan Hancu benefited from a life insurance of 80,000 euro.

The roadside bomb explosion on Thursday was the most serious attack on Italian and Romanian troops in Nassyria since 2003, when 19 Italian troops were killed in a similar attack there.

Italy has 2,600 troops in Iraq and plans to withdraw them before the end of 2006. Romania participates to the US-led coalition there with 860 troops.