BAGHDAD — U.S. soldiers killed two Iraqi policemen Saturday after coming under fire during an operation against al-Qaeda in northern Iraq, the U.S. military said.
An Iraqi officer confirmed the incident, which occurred near the northern city of Mosul, but said the policemen were manning a checkpoint when they were gunned down.
A U.S. statement said the incident began when U.S. soldiers entered a neighborhood looking for a suspected al-Qaeda operative who was thought to be in a building. The Americans called for the building’s occupants to surrender when they came under fire from another building about 100 yards away.
“Despite multiple attempts to identify themselves, the (U.S.) force continued to receive hostile fire. Acting in self defense, coalition forces returned fire,” the statement said. The Associated Press
