[JURIST] Three US Marines have been charged with assault in the village of Hamdania in April this year, according to a late Thursday report by AP, citing US military officials. The April 10 incident came to light during a military investigation of seven Marines and one Navy corpsman [JURIST report] charged in June with the murder and kidnapping of an Iraqi civilian in the same village on April 26. Charges against a fourth Marine are pending. AP has more.

Reports circulating Wednesday had suggested that Corps was preparing unspecified charges against four Marines [JURIST report]. Marine Corps western US defense coordinator Lt. Col. Colby Vokey said that he learned of the new charges when the military told him to find attorneys for the men.

8/4/06 – Additional information disclosed Friday indicates that a total of six Marines have been charged for assaulting Iraqi civilians on April 10. Three of the six were Marines originally charged in the April 26 death. AFP has more.