US confirms Syrian bus hit

US confirms Syrian bus hit

Syria says at least 10 people were injured in the attack

The US military has confirmed that a bus carrying Syrian civilians was hit by an American missile, killing five people and wounding at least 10.

A statement from a US spokesman at the coalition's Central Command headquarters in Qatar said that the US-led forces "regretted" the loss of life, saying the bus was destroyed while coalition forces were targeting a bridge in Rutba, a western Iraqi town near the Syrian border.

"The bus stopped on the bridge and was hit by munitions already released prior to the bus approaching the bridge," it said.

However blame for the incident was ultimately placed on the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein.

"We regret the loss of innocent life brought on by this regime's non-compliance of UN resolutions," the statement added.

'Terrible aggression'

The Syrians were said to be fleeing the fighting in Iraq when a missile hit the bus in which they were travelling.

One of the wounded, Marwan al-Shayesh, told Syrian Television the bus had stopped for a break when the missile struck.

"Passengers were coming down from the bus when there was a huge explosion. We ran away and looked back to the bus and saw more than 10 wounded inside," he said.

Syrian officials say the missile strike violates the 1949 Geneva Convention to protect civilians during times of war.

Syria has delivered an official protest to the US and Britain over the attack which it has condemned as a "terrible aggression".

US and British diplomats were summoned to the Syrian Foreign Ministry on Monday.

Syria "reserves the right to claim damages and warned against the danger of targeting innocent civilians," the Sana news agency reported.

Syria strongly opposes the US-led war on Iraq and has called for a peaceful solution to get Saddam Hussein to disarm.