Four United States soldiers were killed and five wounded on Friday when a blast struck their convoy on the edge of the Shi’ite militia stronghold of Sadr City, the US military said.
”Four soldiers were killed and five wounded in an explosion on their convoy in Baghdad at around 1.10pm [9.10am GMT],” a spokesperson said, adding that the nature of the device was under investigation.
Witnesses earlier told an AFP correspondent on the scene that the convoy was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade before a roadside bomb was detonated.
A 21-year-old Iraqi was seriously wounded by the blast, his father said. Witnesses said a cameraman was also injured when US troops opened fire to keep bystanders away.
The attack followed overnight clashes in Sadr City between US troops and militiamen loyal to radical cleric Moqatada al-Sadr. — Sapa-AFP