Troops kill seven Iraqi 'bandits'

Oil pipelines are targets for thieves and saboteurs

The US army says its troops have killed seven men who were trying to steal oil from a pipeline in northern Iraq.

Those killed were among about 40 men spotted with 10 trucks at the pipeline near the town of Samarra.

The alleged bandits were said to have shot first at the soldiers. No Iraqi version of events was available.

Later an American soldier died and two others were wounded when a bomb exploded near their convoy in central Baghdad, the US military said.

More than 200 American soldiers have died in attacks by suspected insurgents since major combat operations ceased in Iraq last May.

Tip-off

A tip-off by an Iraqi informant led troops to the pipeline just south of Samarra, 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Baghdad, Master Sergeant Robert Cargie told reporters.

There they encountered the alleged thieves, armed with AK-47 rifles, he said.

"As they tried to capture them [the Iraqis], the soldiers came under fire. They returned fire, killing seven," Master Sgt Cargie said.

The troops used rifles and a 125-millimetre cannon in the exchange. Four trucks were destroyed in the gunfire. The other men escaped.

Iraq's oil and gas pipelines are regular targets for thieves in a fuel-starved country, but also for insurgents hoping to disrupt coalition plans, says our correspondent Barbara Plett.

A roadside bomb exploded at 1000 (0700GMT) on Monday in Baghdad, killing one soldier and injuring two.

Ramadi clash

And at least one Iraqi bystander was reported killed by US soldiers in the flashpoint town of Ramadi. Six were also injured, said Reuters news agency.

Witnesses told Reuters the Americans began shooting randomly after their convoy was hit by a roadside bomb. They then reportedly searched houses in the area, firing repeatedly.

The US military says the number of attacks on its troops has dropped from about 40 a day two months ago to a daily average of 17 now - evidence, they say, that their aggressive tactics to root out insurgents are producing results.

But correspondents say they remain vulnerable to attack when they leave their fortified bases.