Officials: Blast survivors hit by gunfire

By SINBAD AHMED,
Associated Press WriterPosted:
Saturday July 30th, 2005, 1:48 PMLast Updated:

Some survivors of a suicide bombing targeting Iraqi army recruits were shot and wounded immediately afterward when U.S. and Iraqi soldiers opened fire at the scene, police, doctors and witnesses said Saturday.

The bomber wandered into a crowd of Iraqis waiting Friday to enlist in the army and detonated his explosives, said police and witnesses to the attack in this northern town near the Syrian border. Al-Qaida in Iraq claimed responsibility in a statement posted on the Internet.

After the blast, U.S. and Iraqi troops opened fire believing they were under attack, Rabiah's police chief, Col. Yahya al-Shammari, told The Associated Press.

He said some of the army recruits were killed by the gunfire, although it was unclear how many because dead and wounded were taken to several hospitals across a wide area of northern Iraq.

He said the death toll from the suicide attack had risen to 52 dead and 93 injured by late Saturday.

The account of the shooting comes amid increased focus on the professionalism and training of the Iraqi army, with the Bush administration eager to improve Iraq's security forces so that the United States and its partners can begin withdrawing troops next year.

The Iraqi Defense Ministry said that it was unaware of any shooting in connection with the bombing at Rabiah, a town 230 miles north of Baghdad, and that all casualties resulted from the blast.

The U.S. military press office in Baghdad acknowledged receiving a query about the alleged shooting but said it had no information on it yet.

Townspeople also spoke of gunfire from U.S. and Iraqi soldiers after the blast.

"Two of my relatives were wounded with bullets," said Akram Zeidan, who lives near the blast site. He pointed to the walls that showed hundreds of bullet holes.

The police chief said Iraqi soldiers fired Russian-made PKC automatic rifles mounted on top of their trucks. Dozens of empty shell casing could be seen scattered on the ground Saturday. He said U.S. troops also took part in the shooting.

In the nearby village of Oweinat, where 14 of the wounded were being treated, a doctor showed a reporter four PKC bullets he had removed from some of the wounded. He refused to allow his name to be published, fearing government reprisal.

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