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[casi] US troops err in civilian killings




http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/7C2224BE-FF53-43FA-858C-3D32A15300EA.htm

US troops err in civilian killings

Tuesday 18 November 2003, 10:08 Makka Time, 7:08 GMT

Three Iraqis - including a child - have been shot dead
by US troops in the capital while two occupation
soldiers were killed in attacks north of Baghdad.

The three Iraqis were killed on Monday at Baghdad’s
gun market when US soldiers mistook gunfire of
customers testing weapons for an attack.

According to Iraqi police, the dead included an
11-year-old boy, while four others were also wounded.

Elsewhere, a US military spokesman said two US
soldiers were killed in separate attacks early on
Monday near the town of Balad, about 100km north of
Baghdad.

The spokesman said one of the soldiers was killed and
two were wounded when they were ambushed with
rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire at 7:40am
(04:40 GMT).

Testing gun

The apparently mistaken shooting of civilians began
when a group of Iraqis were testing a gun in the
market by firing it in the air, said Major Ali Rykan
of the Iraqi police. As they shot, four US armoured
cars passed by, Rykan said.

At least two US soldiers opened fire on the market,
killing the three, said Rykan and Hashim Naim
Muhammad, a witness. His 11-year-old nephew, Akil
Husayn Naim, was among the dead.

The shooting took place at the Mraydi market, a
three-kilometre-long market that is famous in Baghdad
as a place where one can buy guns.

In Iraq, it is legal for a family to own one gun for
self-defence.

Saddam aide blamed

In other developments, the US army said it had new
evidence that Izzat Ibrahim, a key deputy of Saddam
Hussein, was behind some deadly attacks on American
forces.

"We are getting more intelligence that suggests he was
directly implicated in the killing of some coalition
soldiers," spokesman Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt
told a news conference in Baghdad.

Ibrahim is number six on the US list of the 55
most-wanted Iraqi fugitives. He is the most senior
figure still on the run, aside from Saddam himself.

Asked if US forces were getting closer to catching
Ibrahim, Kimmitt said: "We are getting closer every
day."


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