Mortar attack kills 3 Iraqi children
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A mortar attack on a U.S. base in Iraq killed three children playing soccer nearby, the U.S. military said on Wednesday.
Seven other youngsters were also hurt in Tuesday's attack on the base near Balad, 80 km (50 miles) north of Baghdad.
"This indiscriminate violence wrought by these terrorists is intolerable," said Major Peggy Kageleiry, spokeswoman for U.S. forces in northern Iraq.
Kageleiry did not identify the attackers, but U.S. forces in the region have launched a series of operations targeting al Qaeda militants responsible for a spate of suicide bombings.
The incident is the latest in which children playing outdoors have been killed after becoming caught up in widespread violence since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
(Reporting by Michael Holden)
