1. Wide shot, zoom into families of injured soldiers being led to plane 2. Wide of plane on tarmac 3. Pan of officials and family waiting for soldiers to exit plane 4. Injured soldiers get off plane, some on crutches 5. Injured soldier embraces family members and doctor puts arms around soldier 6. More injured soldiers walk to vehicle 7. Injured soldier on stretcher being led to ambulance 8. Vehicle carrying wounded drives off 9. Injured soldier on stretcher carried out 10. Another injured soldier on stretches 11. Injured female soldier carried on stretcher to ambulance 12. SOUNDBITE (English) Lieutenant Colonel Stefano Farrace, Military doctor: "Actually I believe they were quite alright. Probably 25 percent of them has major injuries, fractures and problems with bones, whereas the other 60 per cent were better, the atmosphere was good, more or less. They were, psychologically speaking, recovering well from what happened two days ago." 13. SOUNDBITE (English) Lieutenant Colonel Stefano Farrace, Military doctor: "(Q: Did you see some tears in their faces, in their eyes?) Not today, yesterday yes, they were much better probably because they were coming home and so you know, their feeling was improving." 14. Ambulance drives off STORYLINE: A military plane flew home a first group of wounded troops on Friday after a suicide bombing that tore apart an Italian base in Iraq this week and killed 18 Italians - a strike that horrified Italians whose military had previously been spared bloodshed there. Senior military officials greeted some 20 wounded Italians on their arrival at Rome's Ciampino airport, which was broadcast on state television. One survivor limped off the plane on crutches, while others appeared with bandages on their faces or were loaded into ambulances. The bodies of the dead were being shipped home in brown wooden coffins on Saturday. They will be laid out at the central Roman Vittoriano palace on Monday, with the public allowed to view the coffins over 11 hours. The nation, in deep mourning since Wednesday's attack in the southern Iraqi town of Nasiriyah, is prepared for more distressing hours next week, when the state funerals occur on Tuesday at a Rome basilica. That event will also be broadcast live on state television. The Colosseum will turn off its lights on Tuesday, schools will observe a minute of silence, shops will close briefly, workers will pause for 10 minutes - even movie theatres will keep their marquees dark that day as a sign of respect. The attack killed 12 paramilitary Carabinieri police, four army soldiers and two civilians. Another Italian was wounded and has been declared brain dead. Fourteen non-Italians were also killed, while more than 80 were wounded. Italy's government has stressed that it will not retreat from its mission. And for the time being, Italians - who largely opposed the war in Iraq - seemed more determined to stay in the country. During a speech on Friday, Premier Silvio Berlusconi defended the government's decision to send troops to Iraq, but said he had been opposed to the war and tried to persuade US President George W. Bush to change his mind. This came as a surprise because Berlusconi has been a staunch ally of the US administration in the conflict. Berlusconi said he also urged allies to "quickly build a system of self-government" in Iraq. The Italian premier, while supporting Washington's military campaign against Saddam Hussein, did not send combat soldiers. Instead, Italy contributed troops after Baghdad fell to help in the reconstruction, and now has a 2,300-strong contingent in Iraq. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/641c855ba51762e2240b9087ff8393c5 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

• published: 21 Jul 2015
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