Bodies of 2 Slain Turkish Hostages Found

The bodies of two Turkish hostages who apparently had been shot were found north of the Iraqi town of Baiji, the Arabic-language satellite television channel Al Jazeera reported Friday.

At least four Turks have been kidnapped in Iraq this month.

Two Turkish firms working in Iraq, SA-RA and Usluel, whose employees were kidnapped by insurgents, said that they would leave the country.

Several Turkish firms have already withdrawn amid security concerns for their personnel.

Scores of foreign workers in Iraq have been kidnapped since April. Many have been released, but about a dozen have been killed.

In the insurgent stronghold of Fallouja, meanwhile, witnesses said U.S. warplanes dropped at least two bombs Friday, but there was no immediate word on casualties or damage.

Near the city, a U.S. soldier was killed in a vehicle accident, becoming the latest of more than 970 military personnel to die since the Iraq conflict began.

On Wednesday, U.S. warplanes and tanks bombed Fallouja for more than two hours, killing at least four people, hospital officials and residents said.

U.S. forces have repeatedly carried out airstrikes in Fallouja since Marines ended a three-week siege of the city in April.

In Baghdad, guerrillas attacked a U.S. patrol four times with grenades, wounding 12 soldiers, the Army said. Four suspects were detained.

In the northern city of Mosul, a car bomb exploded as a U.S. military convoy moved through the western edge, wounding a soldier and 10 Iraqi civilians, said Army Capt. Angela Bowman.