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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| US air strike kills 'Iraq allies' | US air strike kills 'Iraq allies' |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Six people have been killed in a US air strike near the Iraqi town of Samarra, with some reports suggesting they were US-allied anti-al-Qaeda Sunni fighters. | Six people have been killed in a US air strike near the Iraqi town of Samarra, with some reports suggesting they were US-allied anti-al-Qaeda Sunni fighters. |
| The US denied claims by a police source and a militia member that those killed at the checkpoint were members of an Awakening Council. | The US denied claims by a police source and a militia member that those killed at the checkpoint were members of an Awakening Council. |
| The US-funded groups are credited with helping to curb the level of violence. | The US-funded groups are credited with helping to curb the level of violence. |
| It came as four more US soldiers were killed in Iraq, bringing the death toll since the 2003 invasion close to 4,000. | It came as four more US soldiers were killed in Iraq, bringing the death toll since the 2003 invasion close to 4,000. |
| Three soldiers died when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle near Baghdad on Saturday, the US military said. | Three soldiers died when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle near Baghdad on Saturday, the US military said. |
| Another US soldier died after a rocket or mortar attack on Friday. | Another US soldier died after a rocket or mortar attack on Friday. |
| Reflective vests | |
| A US helicopter gunship killed the six Iraqis near Samarra in an attack which an army spokesman said had been launched after people "were spotted conducting suspicious terrorist activity". | |
| The area, 125km (80 miles) north of Baghdad, has seen a large number of roadside bombings. | |
| The US said it was now investigating the attack, in which two other people were injured. | |
| But Abu Faruq, a local leader of an Awakening Council in Samarra, said those killed were members of his group, which was manning a checkpoint. He told the AFP news agency that they had all been wearing the reflective vests worn by members of the Councils. | |
| A BBC correspondent in Iraq says some dissidents are believed to be continuing their support for al-Qaeda while pretending allegiance to the Awakening Councils. | |
| Denial | Denial |
| Independent website icasualties.org - which keeps a count of US deaths in Iraq - says Saturday's American fatalities would bring the death toll to 3,996. | |
| Iraq has been marking the fifth anniversary of the invasion | Iraq has been marking the fifth anniversary of the invasion |
| Iraq this week marked the fifth anniversary of the US-led invasion. | Iraq this week marked the fifth anniversary of the US-led invasion. |
| US President George W Bush said the invasion had been "the right decision" and had made the world better. | US President George W Bush said the invasion had been "the right decision" and had made the world better. |
| He said the US military's co-operation with Sunni Arab militias was yielding the first large-scale Arab uprising against Osama Bin Laden, and that last year's US troop surge had opened the door to a major strategic victory. | He said the US military's co-operation with Sunni Arab militias was yielding the first large-scale Arab uprising against Osama Bin Laden, and that last year's US troop surge had opened the door to a major strategic victory. |
| Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said the "liberation of Iraq" by US-led forces had been the start of a new era, but he also warned that today's Iraq was still gravely threatened. | Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said the "liberation of Iraq" by US-led forces had been the start of a new era, but he also warned that today's Iraq was still gravely threatened. |
| The campaign group, Iraq Body Count, says the civilian death toll since March 2003 is between 82,000 and 89,000, although it warns many deaths may have gone unreported. | The campaign group, Iraq Body Count, says the civilian death toll since March 2003 is between 82,000 and 89,000, although it warns many deaths may have gone unreported. |