Iraqi soldier 'killed US troops'

Two American soldiers have been deliberately shot dead by a colleague in an Iraqi unit, the US and Iraqy militaries have announced. The two soldiers were on a joint US-Iraq patrol in Mosul in northern Iraq when they were killed last week.

It is the first time such a killing has been confirmed by the two forces.

"Two US soldiers killed during a combined Iraqi army and coalition operation in Nineveh province on December 26 were allegedly shot by an Iraqi soldier," the US military said in a statement on Saturday.

Three other US soldiers and a civilian interpreter were wounded in the incident.

The team had been setting up a combat outpost. "The Iraqi soldier who allegedly opened fire fled the scene but was identified by other Iraqi army personnel and was then apprehended" the military statement said.

Two soldiers arrested

Two Iraqi army soldiers are now being held in connection with the incident.

The US military said it was not clear why the Iraqi soldier had opened fire, but two Iraqi generals told the Reuters news agency that the attacker had links to Sunni Arab fighters.

The patrol "was attacked by gunmen and the soldier abused the situation and killed the two soldiers