“November 12 marks the 20th anniversary of the Nassiriya attack, the biggest massacre of Italian soldiers since the second world war,” said Marco Intravaia, son of Vice Brigadiere Domenico Intravaia, one of the soldiers killed in the attack.
“On this occasion, we would have expected a different sensitivity to what my father and the other victims did for the State, by deciding to remain in Iraq despite the high risk they were exposed to, a choice they paid for with their lives,” he continued.
He also appealed to President Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Defence Minister Guido Crosetto to grant the fallen of Nassiriya the gold medal for military valour in their memory.
On November 12, 2003, two vehicles loaded with explosives drove into the Italian Nassiriya base and exploded, killing 27.
The base hosted the bulk of the Italian contingent in Iraq at the time and, of those killed, 19 were Italians - 12 Carabinieri military police, five army soldiers and two civilians, including documentary filmmaker Stefano Rolla.
ANSA
