A day after the latest contingent of Latvian soldiers headed off to Iraq, the two servicemen who died just after Christmas were laid to rest in private ceremonies Jan. 4.

PFC Gints Bleija and PFC Vitālijs Vasiļevs died Dec. 27 when the Hummer vehicle in which they were riding was hit by an improvised explosive device. Three other soldiers were injured in the explosion. One of the them, 1st Lt. Ivo Vigulis, is undergoing treatment in a German hospital.

President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga and other government officials attended a service held earlier in the day Jan. 4 at St. Peter’s Church in Rīga.

The deaths cast a somber mood on the farewell ceremony for the latest contigent, Latvian media reported. A total of 103 servicemen and women headed to Iraq from the Ādaži military base in Latvial, the Ministry of Defense said.

The Latvian troops are serving as part of the multinational force overseen by Poland.

In December, the Latvian parliament extended the nation’s mission in Iraq until the end of 2007.

 

Two Latvian soldiers are dead and three injured after a roadside bomb exploded next to their vehicle, the Latvian Ministry of Defense announced Dec. 27. The soldiers were on patrol.

Killed were PFC Gints Bleija and PFC Vitālijs Vasiļevs. The names of the injured were not reported.

President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga expressed her condolences to the families of the two fallen soldiers.

“They were true soldiers,” the president said in a statement released by her press office, “and, professionally fulfilling their duties, guaranteed the safety of many other people.”

The incident occurred at about 11:55 hours Latvian time, the Ministry of Defense said. The improvised explosive device also damaged the Hummer vehicle.

The two who died are the second and third Latvian soldiers to fall in Iraq. First Lt. Olafs Baumanis, 34, died in a June 2004 explosion.

Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks asked Latvians to light a candle in memory of the two soldiers.

Defense Minister Atis Slakteris also expressed his condolences.

“Hate and unmerciful fanaticism today has taken the lives of two Latvian soldiers,” he said in a statement released by the ministry’s press office. “We have to acknowledge this heavy loss, which the heart and mind refuse to accept.”

The Latvian contigent has been serving in Iraq since 2003 as part of the Polish-led international forces stationed between the American- and British-controlled zones. A total of 113 soldiers make up the contigent, according to the Ministry of Defense.

Earlier this month, the Latvian parliament extended the nation’s mission in Iraq until the end of 2007.

A U.S. Army Special Forces soldier who was born in Latvia died in August 2004 during combat in Iraq. Capt. Michael Yury Tarlavsky, 30, was based at Fort Campbell, Ky.

An Estonian soldier died in Iraq in February 2004.

Police in Ireland have arrested a man in connection with the apparent murder-for-hire of the Latvian mother, Baiba Saulīte, who was gunned down Nov. 19 at her home north of Dublin.

The man, described only as in his 30s, was arrested the morning of Dec. 18 and was being held at the police station in Swords, the district where Saulīte lived. He can be held up to 36 hours without being charged.

Police on Dec. 5 arrested two men also in connection with their investigation of the murder, but the suspects were later released.

Saulīte died at her home after being shot three times while she and some acquaintances were visiting at her home. Her two sons, ages 3 and 5, were asleep in the house.

As their investigation developed, police learned the 28-year-old Latvian had feared for her safety. She had fought a custody battle with her estranged husband, a Lebanese named Hassan Hassan, who is serving time in an Irish jail for his involvement in an automobile theft scheme. Hassan also has been sentenced to two years imprisonment for abducting their sons in 2004 and arranging to take them to Syria to be with his family.

In addition, Saulīte’s solicitor had received threats, according to police.