"There was an incident involving the (US) military and the Canadian ambassador's car today," a State Department official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. "They shot on it."

A U.S. soldier rides in an armoured vehicle while patrolling a neighbourhood in central Baghdad, December 16, 2005. The U.S. military in Baghdad fired shots at the Canadian ambassador's car on Tuesday but there were no injuries, a State Department official said. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani

"No-one was injured," the official said, calling it an "unfortunate incident" and adding: "We are in close contact with Canadian officials."

The official could provide no further details of the incident.

Four passengers were riding in the vehicle, including Stewart Henderson, Canada's charge d'affaires in Iraq, when US soldiers fired on it "after it reportedly wouldn't stop," Canada's CTV News reported.

The vehicle was apparently travelling alone in the heavily fortified Green Zone when it came across an American military convoy and tried to pass it, the report said.

Members of the US Army's 4th Infantry Divisions gave the driver hand signals to stop. When the car did not, they shot over it, then at it.

"Finally they plugged the car with three rounds. Two went through the hood into the engine block. One shot went through the lower part of the windshield," CTV said.

Canada's ambassador to Iraq, John Holmes, was not in the car, and neither the four passengers nor the driver were injured, the report said.

Copyright © 2006 AFP

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