US marines killed in fighting
Two US marines have died in clashes in the western Iraqi province of al-Anbar, the US military has said.
One was killed in action on Friday and the other died from wounds received in fighting on Thursday.
The deaths brought the number of US troops killed in Iraq since last year’s invasion to at least 862.
The military also disclosed that three US soldiers have been charged in the drowning death of an Iraqi man who was forced to jump off a bridge into the Tigris river north of Baghdad in January.
A fourth soldier faces charges for allegedly ordering a second Iraqi to jump. That man survived.
Two of the soldiers are charged with manslaughter, assault, conspiracy, false statements and obstruction, according to officials of the 4th Infantry Division.
A third is charged with manslaughter and making a false statement, and the fourth is charged with assault and making a false statement.
Briton charged
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One of the men forced into the |
In London, a British soldier will stand trial over the shooting of a 13-year-old boy in Iraq, the UK‘s top legal officer said on Friday.
The soldier, Private Alexander Johnston faces a charge of unlawful wounding over the non-fatal shooting of the boy last September, Attorney General Lord Goldsmith said in a statement.
He could face an alternative charge of negligent handling of a weapon, the statement added.
The shooting took place in al-Uzair, south of Iraq‘s southeastern city of Amara.
Johnston is the fifth British soldier to be charged over events in Iraq. Britain earlier said it would try four soldiers over the abuse of detainees. The charges against them include assault and indecent assault.