IRAQ: Three Iraqi policemen killed by U.S. fire south of Baghdad

Record ID: 352767

  • Title: IRAQ: Three Iraqi policemen killed by U.S. fire south of Baghdad
  • Date: 16th February 2008
  • Summary: PEOPLE AND ARMED MEMBERS OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD PATROL NEAR BOMBED SITE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic), UNIDENTIFIED MEMBER OF LOCAL POLICE UNIT, SAYING: "We saw a torch light near our position, so we fired a bullet into the air to see if they were friends or foes but the reply was intensive fire. When we discovered that they were Americans, we pulled out because we knew that we cou
  • Embargoed: 2nd March 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Iraq
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: International Relations,Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVAAW8ODMD1KPV6QL2V2NUTGMR7C
  • Story Text: U.S. helicopters open fire with rockets after coming under small-arms fire in Jurf al-Sakhar, south of Baghdad, the U.S. military say.
    U.S. helicopters opened fire on a local police unit position south of Baghdad early on Friday (February 15), killing three local policemen, witnesses said.
    The U.S. military said helicopters opened fire with rockets after coming under small-arms fire early on Friday at Jurf al-Sakhar, 85 km (53 miles) south of Baghdad.
    Members of the unit said they fired a warning shot into the air when they saw a force approaching their position.

    "We saw a torch light near our position, so we fired a bullet into the air to see if they were friends or foes but the reply was intensive fire.
    When we discovered that they were Americans, we pulled out because we knew that we could not confront them. We started to shout my friends, Mr. and the like but they continued to fire and the planes intensified fire," said a member of the unit, who survived the attack.
    The neighbourhood units, formed by mainly Sunni Arab tribal sheikhs, have been credited for contributing to sharp falls in violence. Attacks across Iraq have fallen by 60 percent since 30,000 extra U.S. troops were deployed by last June.
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