Reports say gunmen killed eight Iraqi soldiers when they ambushed an army patrol in northern Iraq and then set the soldiers' vehicle on fire.
The reports said the incident occurred at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Haditha, 190 kilometers northwest of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
Police officers speaking on condition of anonymity said the gunmen shot at the vehicle's tires initially, before killing all the eight soldiers in the vehicle and setting it alight.
Iraq's army and police is a primary target of attacks as U.S. forces prepare to fully withdraw by year's end, under a bilateral security agreement.
In the 12 months since the U.S. military ended combat operations in Iraq, 588 Iraqi police and 418 soldiers have been killed, including 45 police and 39 soldiers in August alone, according to figures from the Interior and Defense ministries.
compiled from agency reports
The reports said the incident occurred at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Haditha, 190 kilometers northwest of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
Police officers speaking on condition of anonymity said the gunmen shot at the vehicle's tires initially, before killing all the eight soldiers in the vehicle and setting it alight.
Iraq's army and police is a primary target of attacks as U.S. forces prepare to fully withdraw by year's end, under a bilateral security agreement.
In the 12 months since the U.S. military ended combat operations in Iraq, 588 Iraqi police and 418 soldiers have been killed, including 45 police and 39 soldiers in August alone, according to figures from the Interior and Defense ministries.
compiled from agency reports