U.S. soldier sentenced in accidental shooting

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military sentenced a soldier to three years in a military jail Saturday for the accidental shooting death of a fellow soldier serving in Iraq.

"Sergeant Miguel A. Vegaquinones was sentenced to three years confinement, reduction in rank to private ... and a dishonorable discharge," the U.S. military said in a statement.

Vegaquinones pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter after the January 11 incident in which he shot another soldier, Sean McCune, in Samarra, north of Baghdad. The military said Vegaquinones "negligently" fired a round at McCune.

According to the terms of a pre-trial plea arrangement, Vegaquinones will serve only up to 30 months, said military spokesman Major Derrick Cheng.

He said the sentence would automatically be appealed.

(Editing by Sophie Hares)