US soldier killed at Iraq checkpoint

A US soldier has been killed by gunmen at a checkpoint near the Syrian border in western Iraq, the military said in a statement today.

The attackers pulled up in a car and called for medical assistance for someone in the vehicle, it said. When the American soldier approached, they pulled pistols and shot him.

US Central Command said the troops at the checkpoint returned fire, killing one person and capturing a second. At least one other assailant fled in the car.

The killing appeared to be part of escalating clashes between US troops and Iraqis in the centre and west of the country.

Dozens of American soldiers and Iraqis have been killed or wounded in almost daily skirmishes.