BAGHDAD, Jan. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Four US contractors were killed in a road accident in western Baghdad on Sunday, the US military said on Monday.

    The contractors were killed when their bus was hit by a 7-ton truck at the al-Asad US air base in Anbar province, the military said in a statement.

    Eighteen civilians and a marine were also injured, the statement said.

    Nine injured civilians needed to be hospitalized, and eight of them have been evacuated to Baghdad hospitals and a ninth was taken to a combat hospital north of Baghdad, the statement said.

    The incident is under investigation, it said.

    The names of the dead and wounded were being withheld pending notification of next of kin, the statement added. Enditem