The US army apologized Wednesday for killing an Iraqi child, as the death toll from Sunday's double suicide bombings climbed to over 100.
According to AFP, Colonel William Mayville acknowledged that his forces were responsible Tuesday for mortar fire that killed an Iraqi boy as his family picnicked in the northern city of Kirkuk.
Mayville told a meeting with local government officials, attended, that he had ordered an investigation into the incident that also wounded the boy's mother and two brothers.
He said his soldiers had opened fire because they suspected resistance fighters were in the area.
Mayville added that he ordered the payment of 2,500 dollars in compensation for the family of the nine-year-old boy, Basssam Sami Awwad, and 1,500 dollars for each of the three injured.
Meanwhile, the death toll increased to at least 101 after the attacks at the offices of the two main Kurdish Iraqi political parties in the northern town of Arbil, the US military confirmed.
A spokesman added that 133 of the wounded remained in hospital three days after the bombings.
But the television station owned by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which was targeted in the attacks, said 125 of those hurt remained in hospital. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
