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13 Iraqi protesters shot dead

FALLUJAH (Iraq) april 29. United States soldiers opened fire on Iraqis participating in a night time demonstration against the American presence here after people shot at them with automatic rifles, soldiers said today. The director of the local hospital said 13 people were killed and 75 wounded. The demonstrators insisted they were unarmed.

It was the third reported fatal shooting involving U.S. troops and Iraqi protesters in the past two weeks, underscoring the problems facing soldiers whose training focuses more on combat operations than crowd control. The incidents, widely reported by Arab news media, have served to fuel growing resentment against the U.S. military presence in Iraq only weeks after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime.

The latest shooting took place about 10:30 p.m. on Monday in the town of Fallujah, roughly 50 km west of Baghdad. The predominantly Sunni Muslim area provided strong support for Mr. Hussein's Ba'ath Party.

Col. Arnold Bray of the 82nd Airborne Division said at least seven Iraqis were hit by gunfire, but he could not confirm the reported deaths. The 82nd Airborne has one battalion spread out around Fallujah, and a company of 150 was inside a school that serves as its headquarters when the incident took place, soldiers said.

``There was fire directly over the heads of soldiers on the roof (of the school). They returned fire in order to protect the lives of our soldiers,'' said Lt. Col. Eric Nantz.

Dr. Ahmed Ghanim al-Ali, director of Fallujah General Hospital, said there were 13 dead, including three boys no older than 10. He said his medical crews were shot at when they went to retrieve the wounded, which he said numbered 75.— AP

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