US military says charges 3 over prisoner deaths

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Monday three U.S. soldiers had been charged over the deaths of three male prisoners in Iraq on May 9.


It said the soldiers faced charges including "murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, communicating a threat, and obstructing justice." It was not immediately clear whether all three faced the murder charge.

"Three members of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division have been charged in connection with the deaths of three male detainees," the U.S. military said in a statement.

The case comes as the U.S. military is investigating other cases of alleged abuses, including the killing of up to 24 unarmed civilians in the town of Haditha last year by U.S. Marines.