US troops fire on radical cleric supporters-police

BAGHDAD, Aug 3 (Reuters) U S troops today opened fire on a convoy carrying supporters of radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr at a checkpoint south of Baghdad, wounding at least 16 people, Iraqi police said.

The U S military said it was checking the report and had no immediate comment.

A Mahmudiya police source said the convoy, transporting Sadr supporters from the holy city of Najaf to Baghdad for a rally on Friday, had been passing by a U S base in the flashpoint town of Mahmudiya when the shooting took place.

He said the last five vehicles in the 13-vehicle convoy had ignored instructions at a traffic checkpoint, prompting the U.S.

soldiers to open fire. He said one person was killed and 16 wounded. A police source in Baghdad said only 16 were wounded.

In June, the U S military said its troops had reduced the number of Iraqi civilians they kill after orders to improve checkpoint procedures following the shootings of some 350 Iraqis in such incidents last year.

Sadr commands the Mehdi Army militia, which has clashed repeatedly with U S and Iraqi troops in recent weeks during a security crackdown on so-called rogue militias that U S officials say pose a major threat to the stability of Iraq.

His movement is also part of the national unity government of Shi'ites, Sunnis and Kurds led by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. He is opposed to the presence of U S troops in Iraq.

He has called on supporters to gather in Baghdad for a rally after Friday prayers in support of Hizbollah in Lebanon.

REUTERS SBA RS2159