Iraqi Soldiers Killed In Checkpoint Attack

11 July 2005 (RFE/RL) -- At least seven Iraqi soldiers were reported killed today in a dawn attack on a road checkpoint at the town of Khales, northeast of the capital Baghdad.

Police said gunmen opened fire and the ensuing gunfight lasted half an hour.

When Iraqi reinforcements arrived at the scene, a bomb hidden in a parked pickup truck blew up, wounding some soldiers.

Khales, 60 kilometers from Baghdad, is a center of insurgent activity. Last month, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a Khales army camp, killing 23.

(AFP)