Six members of Iraq family die in attack

Six members of an Iraqi family were killed and four children wounded when their village was fired on by US troops, relatives …

Six members of an Iraqi family were killed and four children wounded when their village was fired on by US troops, relatives said today.

Family members said the American soldiers had heard people shooting into the air yesterday afternoon to celebrate a wedding nearby and had fired back from their tanks.

The US military said it had no information about any incident in Zuham village near Miqdadiya, north of Baghdad.

"The attack happened at about 2.30 p.m. (11.30 a.m. Irish time), when the family was in the house," cousin Mr Bashir Atallah Salih said.

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"The first shell landed in a nearby shop, and the next one inside the house. Two children were blown into pieces. There were five killed and five wounded."

Doctors at a hospital in nearby Baquba, where the wounded were treated, said a sixth person died from her injuries this morning. Four children under the age of 17 remained in hospital.