Mosul (Iraq): At least 10 people were shot dead and scores wounded on April 15 in
the Northern Iraqi town of Mosul, a hospital doctor said, with witnesses claiming US
troops had opened fire on a crowd after it turned against an American-installed
local Governor.
Those charges were denied by a US military spokesman, who said troops had come under
fire from at least two gunmen and fired back, without aiming at the crowd.
Dr Ayad al-Ramadhani said at the city hospital that, "there are perhaps 100 wounded
and 10 to 12 dead" following the shooting near the local government offices in a
central square.
Three witnesses and casualties who spoke to hospital staff said US troops had fired
on the crowd, which was becoming increasingly hostile towards Governor Mashaan al-
Juburi as he was making a pro-US speech.
At US Central Command's war headquarters in Qatar, Brigadier General Vincent Brooks
told a press briefing he had seen no military re ports of the incident and could not
confirm it.
But the military spokesman in Mosul later said, "there were protesters outside, 100
to 150. There was fire. We returned fire."
He said the fire came from a roof opposite the building, about 75 metres away.
"We didn't fire at the crowd, but at the top of the building," the spokesman
added. "There were at least two gunmen. I don't know if they were killed. The firing
was not intensive but sporadic, and lasted up to two minutes.
