In Brief

Iraqi government pulls licence of US security firm over deaths

BAGHDAD - The Iraqi Interior Ministry said yesterday it was pulling the licence of an US security firm allegedly involved in the fatal shooting of civilians during an attack on a US State Department motorcade in Baghdad. The ministry said it would prosecute any foreign contractors found to have used excessive force in the incident on Sunday. A ministry spokesman said eight people were killed and 13 wounded when security contractors working for Blackwater opened fire in a predominantly Sunni neighbourhood in western Baghdad. The spokesman said witness reports pointed to Blackwater involvement. It was not clear if the measure against Blackwater was temporary or permanent. AP