In Iraq, two Iraqi women have been killed in the latest shooting by a foreign military firm. The victims were driving home from work when their vehicle came under fire by guards with the Australia-based Unity Resources Group. The guards fired as many as 40 bullets into the car before speeding away. A witness described the scene.

Witness: “A (civilian) car came out from this side of the road. It was an Oldsmobile with a family inside, two women in the front and children in the back. They were about 80 meters away, which probably made them panic because they went forward a little bit. They started firing at her from all directions. People were afraid.”

Unity Resources Group is in Iraq under contract with the U.S.-based RTI International. RTI has been hired by the State Department for non-governmental work. Foreign military companies in Iraq have been under unprecedented scrutiny since last month’s killing of at least 17 Iraqis by guards with Blackwater USA.