US gunship kills seven Iraqis 'preparing rocket attack'

US forces today killed seven Iraqis said to have been preparing a rocket attack on an American military base.

A military spokesman said that US soldiers later found hundreds of rockets and missiles at the area.

One other Iraqi was wounded and captured while another escaped after being fired on by a US Apache helicopter late yesterday in a bukered encampment about 20 miles north of Saddam's hometown of Tikrit, said Major Josslyn Aberle, spokeswoman of the 4th Infantry Division.

US soldiers later went to the area and discovered more than 600 missiles and rockets in two bunkers and on a flatbed truck, one of three vehicles destroyed by the Apache fire, Aberle said.

The Iraqis were setting up a rocket to be fired toward the US forward operating base called Speicher, about six miles to the north, when they were spotted by the Apache on a reconnaissance mission, Aberle said.

Meanwhile, US military prosecutors in Kuwait will formally charge three American soldiers from Pennsylvania with abusing Iraqi prisoners of war.

Maj. Victor Harris, spokesman for the Kuwait-based US Land Forces Component Command, said an arraignment hearing will be held at Camp Doha, Kuwait, which is under the command of the Third US Army.

The charges grew out of an alleged incident on 12 May at a US detention facility, Camp Bucca, in southern Iraq. The three soldiers, from the 320th Military Police Battalion, based in Ashley, Pennsylvania, are accused of punching and kicking Iraqi POWs while escorting them to Camp Bucca.

Following an inquiry into the alleged incident, US military investigators recommended bringing charges, which have since been filed by the Third Army's commanding general, Lt. Gen. David D. McKiernan. Saturday will be the first time the charges are formally read out to the accused soldiers.

The soldiers have said they acted in self-defence, that conditions were chaotic at Camp Bucca, and that guards had been harassed and assaulted daily by unruly prisoners.

The three soldiers, Master Sgt. Lisa Marie Girman, 35; Staff Sgt. Scott A. McKenzie, 38; and Spc. Timothy F. Canjar, 21, are accused of dereliction of duty, cruelty and maltreatment of enemy prisoners of war, filling false official statements, obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice.