US troops have shot dead the deputy commander of the Iraqi army at a checkpoint in western Al-Anbar province.

Local police said the US forces opened fire Tuesday night on Brigadier General Ismail Swayed al-Obeid, who had left his base in Baghdadi to head home.

They spotted him on the road after the curfew, which goes into effect at 6pm.

No immediate reaction was available from the US military.

US forces have struggled to build up Iraqi security forces in Al-Anbar, where the country's insurgency is at its strongest, and many police and National Guard units are suspected of having been infiltrated by rebels.

Source: CRI news