US soldier dies in latest deadly Iraq ambush

BAGHDAD - A United States soldier died today after being shot in the back by a sniper while on patrol in the lawless streets of Baghdad, the latest in a series of deadly ambushes that have plagued US troops trying to police Iraq.

After the shooting and two mysterious explosions in the city, scores of heavily armed US troops swept through central Baghdad, sealing off roads and searching houses.

Faced with widespread crime and a wave of attacks, the US-led administration in Iraq said it issued an order outlawing the incitement of violence against occupying forces and Iraqi citizens, and would set up a new criminal court.

At least 41 soldiers have been killed by hostile action since May 1, when President Bush declared major combat operations over in Iraq. The US military blames the attacks on guerrillas loyal to ousted President Saddam Hussein.

"A 1st Armoured Division soldier died of a gunshot wound early this morning," an Army statement said.

"The soldier, who was taking part in a patrol, was sitting in a military vehicle when he was struck in the back by a small calibre bullet."

The Pentagon identified the soldier as Private Shawn Pahnke, 25, of Shelbyville, Indiana, who was assigned to 37th Armoured Regiment of 1st Armoured Division based in Friedberg, Germany.

In a separate incident overnight, a car exploded in western Baghdad, and residents said a woman and young girl had been killed.

They said the blast happened at an intersection where US troops manned a checkpoint earlier in the day.

The red Volkswagen Passat was torn apart by the explosion, with its roof sheared off and its interior shredded. There was no explanation for the blast.

Earlier Monday, a car was destroyed in a blast as it drove through a tunnel in central Baghdad. Two Iraqis were wounded. US troops and Iraqi police said the explosion was probably caused by a land mine planted there.

US convoys pass through the tunnel several times a day.

Paul Bremer, head of the interim administration trying to impose order in Iraq, told a news conference it was now illegal for Iraqis to incite violence. He said the move was not a violation of the freedom of the Iraqi people.

Regular demonstrations in several cities have denounced the occupying forces in Iraq and demanded they leave.

Bremer said Iraq's judicial system, which is in a state of collapse, would be purged of corrupt and pro-Saddam judges. He said a special criminal court would be set up in the meantime.

"One of the main reasons for my establishing this court is so that we can try people, in particular senior Baathists ... who may have committed crimes against the coalition, who are trying to destabilise the situation," Bremer told a news conference.

Troops raided an area of Baghdad at dawn on Tuesday, blocking streets with Armoured vehicles and searching houses.

Soldiers said they seized several weapons during house-to-house searches. A two-week amnesty for Iraqis to hand in heavy weapons ended Sunday. Anyone caught with illegal firearms now faces a fine and up to a year in prison.

US forces launched a new mission on Sunday, Operation Desert Scorpion, to hunt for pro-Saddam guerrillas.

By late Monday, 156 people had been arrested in Baghdad, where troops seized scores of weapons, and 215 more in Kirkuk and Saddam's hometown of Tikrit, US Central Command said. Troops also performed "humanitarian fuel escort missions."

The US military says Operation Desert Scorpion aims to win hearts and minds as well as hunt die-hard Saddam loyalists. The mission involves humanitarian aid as well as raids.

Many Iraqis say US raids have been heavy-handed, with houses ransacked and civilians assaulted.

There has been no word on the fate of Saddam since the war, but a team of animal welfare experts said 16 of his thoroughbred Arabian racehorses had been rescued and returned to an equestrian club where they could be properly cared for.

In the south, Iraq's only deep-water port of Umm Qasr reopened to commercial shipping Monday, the US administration for Iraq said. A ship carrying generators was the first to arrive.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq