Iraqi forces opened fire Saturday on six vehicles, including three minibuses, after a U.S. convoy came under fire in central Iraq, killing or injuring more than a dozen people, locals said.
Witnesses said that an American convoy was attacked early Saturday near the town of Haswa, some 40 kms south of the capital.
After the U.S. troops pulled out, Iraqi police and National Guards arrived on the scene. Witnesses said Iraqi troops opened fire randomly and used hand grenades, hitting three minibuses and three trucks.
Doctor Salah al-Janabi of Iskandariyah General Hospital said the hospital received at least 11 bodies, and at least another 15 people were wounded. He said more casualties could have been taken to other hospitals.
Meanwhile, a body found in Iraq resembles a Japanese civilian taken hostage and threatened with execution, but is unlikely to be that of the captive, Japanese officials said Saturday.
The body had arrived in Kuwait and was examined by a Japanese doctor and officials, who determined that it probably did not belong to 24-year-old Shosei Koda, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hatsuhisa Takashima said, according to The AP. (albawaba.com)
