A Bulgarian soldier has become the latest victim of "friendly fire" by US soldiers in Iraq.
Bulgarian Defence Minister Nikolai Svinarov said an investigation into the death of the Bulgarian soldier in southern Iraq on Friday evening showed he was probably accidentally killed by US troops.
"Someone started shooting at our patrol from the west, and in the same direction, 150 metres away, there was a unit from the US army," he said.
"The result gives us enough grounds to believe the death of rifleman Gurdi Gurdev was caused by friendly fire."
Mr Svinarov said the Bulgarian army's chief of staff had written to General Richard Myers, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, asking for an investigation. The US military had no immediate comment.
The soldier was killed around the same time that US forces in Baghdad opened fire on a vehicle taking kidnapped Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena to the airport shortly after her captors freed her.
Ms Sgrena was wounded in the shoulder and secret agent Nicola Calipari, who played a key role in her release, was killed. Hundreds of Italians lined the streets of Rome today for the state funeral of Mr Calipari, who died attempting to shield Ms Sgrena.