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Five dead in suicide car bombingThree troops, pregnant woman and driver killed
DOHA, Qatar (CNN) -- A car bomb attack at a coalition checkpoint in western Iraq killed at least five people -- including three coalition troops -- U.S. Central Command said on Friday. Two other coalition troops were injured in the Thursday night attack, the Central Command in Doha, Qatar, said. A woman, who appeared to be pregnant, got out of the car and began "screaming in fear" at the checkpoint, about 11 miles (18 km) southwest of the Hadithah Dam in Iraq, a Central Command statement said. Three coalition troops walked toward the car and it blew up, U.S. Central Command spokesman Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks said, citing initial reports. Three coalition members were killed, along with the woman and the driver of the car. "She was killed by an explosion from the vehicle," Brooks said. Whether the woman was a knowing participant in the attack remains unknown, but Brooks said Iraqis have used civilians in terror attacks in the past. "We have seen a number of examples that provide us clear evidence that this regime will take civilians and will take women, will take children and use them to lead an attack," Brooks told reporters. "Whether this one was coerced or not, it's now impossible to say. She clearly exited the vehicle in distress and she clearly showed signs of being pregnant," he said. The Hadithah Dam, seized by coalition forces days ago, is several hundred kilometers northwest of Baghdad on the Euphrates River. On March 29, in the first such attack against coalition forces, four U.S. soldiers were killed when a suicide bomber in a taxi attacked a military checkpoint in the central Iraqi town of Najaf.
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