American troops in Baghdad shot and killed a civilian woman after a suspected insurgent allegedly used her as a human shield in a bomb incident.

According to military officials, the incident began when U.S. troops on a foot patrol shot and killed a man allegedly placing an improvised bomb in Baghdad on Tuesday.

When a crowd gathered at the scene, another man reportedly tried to retrieve the bomb and take it away. U.S. troops opened fire on the man, who had “used two local women as cover,” according to the military. The man was wounded, as was one of the women, who later died.

“When the patrol approached the site of the incident, both the [bomb] and wounded woman had been taken away by the crowd,” according to a U.S. military news release.

“This tragic event is the result of criminals using innocent civilians as their shields in order to attack our soldiers,” said Col. Allen Batschelet, chief of staff for Multi-National Division–Baghdad. “We offer our deepest sympathy to the family of the victim.”

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