US Soldier Dead, One Hurt in Vehicle Crash in Iraq
Sun Apr 27, 6:10 AM ET
AS SAYLIYA CAMP, Qatar (Reuters) - One U.S. soldier was killed and another hurt when their armored vehicles overturned near a checkpoint in Tikrit north of the Iraqi capital on Saturday, the U.S. military said on Sunday.
U.S. Central Command said in a statement issued in Qatar the two were in Bradley fighting vehicles that rolled over as they headed to help at the checkpoint, where soldiers had come under fire.
"The checkpoint had recently come under enemy fire. As the Bradleys were moving forward to assist with security at the checkpoint, two of the vehicles rolled over," the statement said.
The injured soldier, from the 4th Infantry Division, was in a stable condition, it said.
U.S. forces took Tikrit, Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s home town, two weeks ago.
They have been keeping a high profile presence the city, 105 miles north of Baghdad, and use Bradleys to patrol some of its main roads.
Isolated shooting incidents are not uncommon throughout Iraq (news - web sites) in the wake of the war. The U.S. military has blamed some on diehard Saddam loyalists and foreign fighters, but others appear to be linked to criminal and smuggling gangs