US soldiers killed in Baghdad shootings

Two American soldiers were killed in separate attacks in Baghdad – at least one of them in a daylight shooting – military officials said.

At least one other soldier was injured when a US vehicle hit an explosive in part of the city believed to have been cleared of land mines.

In the most brazen attack, an unidentified Iraqi walked up to a soldier on a bridge yesterday and opened fire with a pistol, apparently at close range, according to senior US Army officers in Baghdad who had heard reports of the shooting.

The officers said the soldier, whom they did not identify, belonged to the 2nd Armoured Cavalry Regiment.

It was unclear what happened to his attacker and the US Central Command in Qatar said it was unaware of the incident.

US forces say they trade fire with armed Iraqis almost daily across the country.

In a separate attack, a US Army 3rd Infantry Division soldier was killed when a sniper shot him in the head in east Baghdad, said Captain Tom Bryant, spokesman for the Army’s V Corps, which is based at Baghdad’s airport. He had no further details.

Also today, an American Humvee hit a “probable land mine” in a road near Baghdad’s airport, Bryant said. Details were sketchy, but at least one US soldier was injured in that incident.

Earlier, Bryant said, a group of children motioned to a military convoy travelling along another road about a quarter-mile away to avoid a plastic bag in the street.

The convoy followed their advice, but an Iraqi lorry coming up behind the convoy ran over the bag and it exploded.

The lorry driver escaped injury, but an Iraqi man standing nearby suffered burn and shrapnel wounds.