Three US soldiers and two Iraqi paramilitaries were killed Saturday morning when a huge roadside bomb went off north of Baghdad, splitting open the gun turret of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle they were traveling in, according to sources in the U.S. 4th Infantry Division.
The blast happened west of Taji, which is some 30 kilometers north of Baghdad, CNN reported.
The vehicle flipped over and caught fire, and the gunner and commander escaped with wounds, the sources added. The four people in the back and the driver were killed.
A white truck carrying three Iraqis was spotted near the explosion site. It was also carrying improvised explosive device materials, the sources conveyed.
The latest deaths brought to 500 the total number of US troops who have died from all causes, including in combat, by accident and suicide, since the war in Iraq was launched last March.
Meanwhile, the "coalition" forces in Iraq have launched an investigation after a soldier died of a "non-hostile" gunshot wound, a military statement said Saturday.
The nationality and name of the soldier, who died near the town of Diwaniya, 180 kilometres south of Baghdad, were being withheld, the statement added.
It said the soldier was evacuated to a nearby hospital shortly after sustaining the wound on Friday, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.
It did not provide further details on the incident. Diwaniya lies within the zone of Iraq controlled by a polish-led multinational division, consisting of 9,200 soldiers from 23 states.
Most of Spain's 1,300-troop deployment to Iraq are also based at Diwaniya. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
