(UPDATED BELOW)
Two US soldiers were killed by an Iraqi they were on patrol with west of Mosul.
It was the first such incident in Iraq.
Capt. Rowdy J. Inman (left) and Sgt. Benjamin B. Portell were killed by an Iraqi soldier west of Mosul.
The AP reported:
An Iraqi soldier allegedly shot dead two American troops while they were patrolling together north of the capital, the U.S. military and an Iraqi official said Saturday. The Iraqi official said the suspect has links to militant groups.
Three other U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter were wounded in the Dec. 26 attack, the military said in a statement. The shooting occurred as American and Iraqi soldiers were trying to establish a combat outpost in Ninevah province in northern Iraq.
According to Brig. Mutaa Habib Jassim al-Khazrachi, commander of the Iraqi army’s 2nd Division, an initial investigation has indicated that the Iraqi soldier has links to local militant groups.
Al-Khazrachi said the shooting occurred in eastern Mosul as American and Iraqi troops were in a firefight with gunmen.
The Iraqi soldier who allegedly opened fire fled but was identified by other Iraqi army personnel and captured, the military said. Two Iraqi soldiers are being held in connection with the shooting, the statement said.
The U.S. military identified the two Americans killed as Capt. Rowdy Inman and Sgt. Benjamin Portell, both assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.
MNF-I says that the incident is still under investigation.
Aswat Aliraq has more:
The U.S. side denied that this Iraqi soldier opened fire at U.S. servicemen because they sexually harassed an Iraqi girl, affirming that the scene where the incident took place was void of any civilians.
UPDATE:
McClatchy Watch has the disgusting reaction from commenters at the leading Democratic blog Daily Kos.
