WASHINGTON, 26 May 2006 — A US commander ordered a criminal investigation into allegations marines killed an Iraqi man in April in an area west of Baghdad, the US military said Wednesday.

Maj. Gen. Richard Zilmer, the commander of the US forces in western Iraq, asked the Navy Criminal Investigative Service to investigate after Iraqis raised the incident with marine leaders on May 1, the military said.

“A preliminary investigation conducted by MNF-W (Multi-National Force-West) found sufficient information existed to recommend a criminal investigation into the incident,” the military said in a statement. It said several marines from the 5th Marine Regiment’s 3rd Battalion were suspected of involvement in the incident and have been sent back to the United States pending the outcome of the investigation.

The statement provided no details on the incident except to say that it occurred April 26 in the area of Hamanidiya, west of Baghdad.

A spokesman for the command said he could provide no other details because the matter was under investigation.

“I can say that the Marine Corps takes allegations of wrongdoing by marines seriously and is committed to thoroughly investigating such allegations,” Lt. Col. Bryan Salas said by email.

“Additionally, the Marine Corps prides itself on holding its members to the highest standards of accountability,” he said.

“If the allegations are substantiated, the Marine Corps will pursue appropriate legal and administrative actions against those responsible,” he said.

It is the latest in a flurry of probes into killings of civilians by US troops.

The most serious incident to date are allegations that marines shot and killed at least 15 civilians in the western town of Haditha in November and then claimed they were killed in a roadside explosion.

Representative John Murtha, a Democrat, charged recently that about 24 civilians — not 15 — were killed in “cold blood” at Haditha.

Duncan Hunter, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said last week that two investigations into the Haditha incident were expected to be completed next month.

They included the criminal probe and a separate investigation on how it was reported up the military chain of command.

The military also investigating a March 15 incident in the village of Al Bu Seifa, north of Baghdad near the town of Balad in which at least four civilians — two women, a child and a man — and as many as 11 civilians were killed.

The military said US troops looking for an Al-Qaeda suspect came under fire as they raided a house.