BAGHDAD, Iraq – A U.S. Marine fatally wounded an Iraqi soldier in an altercation at the guard post they shared in Fallujah, the U.S. military said Tuesday.
The Marine — assigned to the 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 — has been assigned to administrative duties while the military investigates the incident, the military said in a statement.
The altercation took place on Dec. 30, between members of U.S. and Iraqi units that man combined security posts at the Fallujah Government Center.
A U.S. military spokesman said the Iraqi soldier's death would not derail U.S.-Iraqi efforts to work together.
"This will not impact our mission to continue the transition of the security responsibility to the Iraqi Army," said Marine Lt. Col. Bryan Salas. "Marines and Iraqis from the two units continue to live, eat and fight alongside each other," he said.
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