The U.S. military in Iraq says an Iraqi soldier opened fire on U.S. troops during a joint patrol last week, killing two American soldiers.
A military statement issued Saturday said the incident happened in Ninewah province on December 26, when U.S. and Iraqi Army soldiers were setting up a combat outpost.
It said three other American soldiers and a civilian interpreter were wounded in the shooting and that an investigation is underway.
The statement said the alleged shooter fled the scene, but was identified by other Iraqi army personnel and was then apprehended.
In other news, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told reporters he is in good health upon arriving Saturday in Baghdad following two days of medical tests in a London hospital. A spokesman said Mr. Maliki had been suffering from exhaustion.
Mr. Maliki also said he is determined to unite the country.
Meanwhile, Iraqi security officials say two separate roadside bomb blasts in the volatile Diyala province killed at least six people and wounded three others.
The U.S. military says coalition forces captured a suspected special groups financial facilitator early today during operations to disrupt criminal element networks in the Qasarin area, north of Baghdad.
The captured individual was reported to have aided in planning attacks on coalition forces throughout the Diyala province.
The military also says coalition and Iraqi army soldiers detained nine individuals and killed one enemy combatant during an operation Thursday in Abu Tamur. A statement says one of the detainees was a known al-Qaida in Iraq operative wanted by the Iraqi Army for stealing weapons.
One U.S. soldier was wounded, and five Iraqi army soldiers were killed and two wounded in the operation.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
