(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-11-27 20:03

BAGHDAD - American troops fired on a minibus carrying bank employees to work Tuesday, killing as many as four passengers, Iraqi officials said. The US military said two people were killed after the driver disregarded a warning shot and drove into an area limited to cars.

US soldiers from the 3rd Brigade combat team of 101st Airborne Division search a house during a patrol mission in the town of Youssifiyah, 20 kilometers (12 miles), south of Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Nov. 26, 2007. [Agencies]

The shooting took place in northern Baghdad's Shaab neighborhood, known as a Shiite militia stronghold, as the driver was collecting employees to go to work at Rasheed bank, police said.

US troops fired when the bus reached the US roadblock and tried to drive through, killing four passengers - including three women, police and hospital officials said.

In a statement, the American military said the driver was traveling on a street restricted to cars only, and failed to heed a warning shot. The US statement said two people were killed and four wounded. A manager at Rasheed bank also said the shooting claimed two lives.

Abdul-Karim Khalaf, the Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman, said a Finance Ministry bus came under fire, and one woman was killed and five passengers injured.

"We do not know what happened and we asked the multinational forces to investigate the event," Khalaf said.

The dead and injured were taken to Kindi Hospital, hospital officials said. The police and hospital officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to release information about the shooting.

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