Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Wednesday that the deaths of more than 12 Italian peacekeeping soldiers in Iraq will not intimidate Italy into withdrawing its peacekeeping forces from the country.

 "No intimidation will budge us from our willingness to help that country rise up again and rebuild itself with self-government, security and freedom," Berlusconi said in a statement, which was issued after he had conferred with President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and Defense Minister Antonio Martino.

"Pain is at this time a feeling shared by the entire nation," Berlusconi said. "The whole country feels sorrow at this moment, a deep sorrow for those lives taken by terrorism while they were on a humanitarian mission to help the Iraqi people and in defense of peace and stability in the Middle East."

"But we also feel pride for the courage and humanity with whichour troops...have worked and still work to make the situation tolerable for children, women, the elderly and the weak who live in that martyred region," he added.

The Ansa news agency reported said that at least 14 Italian soldiers were killed in the truck bomb attack on Wednesday morning at the Italian base in Nassiriya, southern Iraq.

According to Italian Carabinieri Chief of Staff General Guido Bellini, a Portuguese eyewitness saw a truck explode outside the Italian Carabinieri barracks.

Wednesday's casualties were the most serious suffered by Italian forces engaged in peace missions since August 1997, when four Italians soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash in Lebanon.

Members of several Italian opposition parties on Wednesday demanded that the government withdraw its troops from Iraq to avoid more losses.

(Xinhua News Agency November 13, 2003)