Iraqi Civilians Killed in Raid

Two Iraqi civilians died in the village of Ishaqi after a raid by joint Iraqi-American forces. Witnesses said the forces fired on civilians and threw hand grenades, killing a 13-year-old boy and an off-duty police officer. An American military spokesman said, “This was an Iraqi-planned and -led counterterrorism operation. The operation was enabled by U.S. support that included helicopters. Also, there was a small number of U.S advisers taking part in the operation, although it was predominantly Iraqi forces.” The incident raises renewed questions over whether Iraq’s forces are ready to continue fighting when the Americans leave. A similar raid on the village of Al Rufait killed three civilians on July 30.