Two U.S. soldiers have been charged with premeditated murder in the death of an Iraqi near the northern city of Kirkuk last month, CNN reported Thursday.
The charges were brought against Sgt. Trey A. Corrales of Texas and Spc. Christopher P. Shore of Georgia, following "reports of the alleged wrongdoing made by fellow soldiers to military authorities," U.S. military sources were quoted by the report as saying.
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Division is conducting an ongoing investigation.
The announcement came hours after a Marine corporal was convicted of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit offenses including murder in connection with the death of an Iraqi man in Hamdaniya last year.
Cpl. Trent D. Thomas had pleaded guilty to murder in the killing, then withdrew his plea earlier this year.
Thomas was found not guilty on charges of murder, larceny, housebreaking and making a false official statement, according to a statement released by the U.S. Marine Corps.
Sentencing proceedings are set to begin Thursday, the Marines said.
Thomas, 25, was among a group of four Marines and a Navy medic who pleaded guilty, but he was initially the only one to admit to murder in the April 2006 killing of Hashim Ibrahim Awad, 52.
In a separate case last week, a hearing officer recommended dropping murder charges against one of eight Marines accused of killing civilians in Haditha, Iraq, citing forensic evidence and inconsistent statements from Iraqi witnesses.
Source: Xinhua
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