Yet another criminal probe ordered into alleged killing of Iraqi civilian by US marines:

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.