US Troops Shot, Injured 6 Civilians, Says Iraqi Gov

'We pulled aside, but they opened fire,' says one
By Caroline Zimmerman,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 18, 2007 2:00 PM CST
US Troops Shot, Injured 6 Civilians, Says Iraqi Gov
Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, a U.S. military spokesman, right, looks on as Philip T. Reeker, spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, talks during a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2007. Violence is down 55 percent in Iraq since the U.S. troop buildup early this summer, but it is unclear...   (Associated Press)

An enraged Iraqi provincial governor has accused US troops of firing on civilian vehicles south of Baghdad today, allegedly wounding six. Ahmed Marzok threatened to sever ties with the US due to the "barbaric, brutal, and illegal" attack. "We were driving on one side of the road and when they came we pulled aside, but they opened fire," said a minibus driver.

The US military had no comment today, but Marzok called on the Iraqi government to conduct a complete investigation of the incident, Reuters reports. Marzok claims two policemen were hurt in the attack; a nearby hospital also counts a woman among the victims. The incident marks mounting frustration among Iraqis at US forces' indiscriminate use of force. (More Iraq death toll stories.)

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