Iraqi Soldiers Detain American Security Guards
BAGHDAD- Iraqi soldiers detained two American security guards along with several other foreigners traveling Monday in a private security convoy after they opened fire in Baghdad, wounding one woman, an Iraqi military spokesman said.
U.S. military and embassy officials had no immediate information about the report, which follows a series of recent shootings in which foreign security guards have allegedly killed Iraqis.
Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said the convoy was driving on the wrong side of the road in the central Baghdad neighborhood of Karradah when the shooting occurred.
Those arrested included two American guards, along with 21 people from Sri Lanka, nine from Nepal and 10 Iraqis, al-Moussawi said. He earlier said an Italian, nine from Bangladesh and one from India were detained but later retracted that statement.
“We have given orders to our security forces to immediately intervene in case they see any violations by security companies. The members of this security company wounded an innocent woman and they tried to escape the scene, but Iraq forces arrested them,” al-Moussawi told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
(AP)