WASHINGTON, July 3: The US Army has charged three soldiers with manslaughter and a fourth with assault for forcing two Iraqi detainees to jump into the Tigris River, reports said on Saturday.

Lt. Jack M. Saville, Sgt. 1st Class Tracy E. Perkins and Sgt. Reggie Martinex were charged with manslaughter, assault and making false statements. The fourth soldier, Terry Bowman, was charged with assault. Saville and Perkins also face charges of conspiracy, making false statements and obstruction of justice.

Documents released by the army show that Saville ordered h is subordinates on the night of Jan. 3 to drive two Iraqi detainees to a bridge over the Tigris River in Samarra.

Saville then ordered his men to push the detainees into the river as punishment for breaking curfew. One of the Iraqis drowned,

When questioned about the incident, Saville and his soldiers told military investigators they had released the Iraqis and had seen them walking away.

Saville and Perkins also conspired with Lt. Col. Sassaman, their battalion commander, Capt. Mathew Cunningham, their company commander and another officer to impede the criminal investigation, the army said.