WASHINGTON, July 27: Four US soldiers have been charged with assaulting Iraqi prisoners of war, the US Central Command announced on Sunday.

All four are members of the military police working with a reserve unit, and have been charged with punching, kicking and breaking the bones of Iraq PoWs at a camp near Umme Qasr.

US military officials in Iraq are “holding an investigation into alleged mistreatment of some prisoners” by these soldiers, spokesman Lt. Commander Nick Balice told reporters. He declined to identify the soldiers or reveal details of the allegations. US authorities are holding more than 7,000 prisoners at this British built camp.

But US newspapers reported on Sunday that the incident took place on May 12 at the Bucca POW camp. The soldiers punched and kicked the prisoners and broke the bones of more than one POW, the reports said.

Media reports have identified the soldiers as Staff Sergeant Scott McKenzie, 37, Master Sergeant Lisa Girman, 35, Sergeant Shawna Edmondson, 24, and Specialist Tim Canjar, 32. Besides assault and mistreating of prisoners, the four soldiers also face the charges of making false statements and obstruction of justice. All four are from the US Army’s 320th Military Police Battalion.