A US soldier has been sent home from Iraq after a copy of the Koran was found riddled with bullet holes at a shooting range near Baghdad.
It is feared that the act of desecration of the Muslim holy book could inflame anger against the US military presence in Iraq.
The US military said Iraqi police found the Koran on 11 May at a firing range in Radwaniyah village near Baghdad.
Colonel Bill Buckner, a US military spokesman, said the Koran was marked with bullet holes and also had graffiti scrawled inside the cover.
It was not immediately clear if the Koran had been used for target practice.
He said that coalition commanders briefed local leaders on the results of the investigation and expressed their deep regret.
He added that the soldier involved has been disciplined and has been removed from Iraq.
In a statement, Colonel Buckner stressed that the US military respected Islam and the Koran.
