Two N.J. soldiers killed in Iraq

Thursday, June 21, 2007

By JUSTO BAUTISTA
HERALD NEWS 

PATERSON -- A 26-year old man from Paterson was one of two New Jersey soldiers killed in combat in Iraq in the past week, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

Army Spec. Farid Elazzouzi died June 14 in Kirkuk when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee. Two other soldiers from Elazzouzi's unit, the 25th Infantry Division based at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, were also killed in the explosion, the Pentagon said.

Kirkuk is 140 miles north of Baghdad.

Elazzouzi was born in Morocco, the Pentagon said. He lived with roommates in South Paterson, Mohamed El Filali, of The Islamic Center of Passaic County, said Wednesday night. Filali, who is Moroccan and did not know the soldier, said that Elazzouzi's roommates had been made aware of his death.

His mother and siblings still live in Oujda, Morocco, a town of 342,000 near the border of Algeria. A large number of immigrants from Oujda live in London, but few come to Paterson, Filali said.

Elazzouzi enlisted in the Army Reserves in 2005. He took basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C.

Elazzouzi's unit, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team from the 25th Division, was deployed to Iraq in July 2006 for a one-year tour.

The other soldiers killed were Sgt. Derek T. Roberts, 24, of Gold River, Calif., and Spec. Val J. Borm, 21, of Sidney, Neb.

In separate combat action, Sgt. Eric L. Snell, 35, of Trenton, a member of the 2nd Infantry Division based at Fort Carson, Colo., died June 18 from gunshot wounds he suffered while fighting insurgents in Baghdad, the Pentagon said.

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