The driver had failed to stop at a vehicle inspection checkpoint near Mosul, a U.S. military news release said.

The shooting happened amid a military sweep seeking people suspected of associating with al-Qaida terrorists, CNN reported.

U.S. and Iraqi soldiers have recently increased anti-al-Qaida efforts in Mosul, a mostly Sunni City.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has sent additional Iraqi soldiers to the Mosul area with his promise to rid the region of insurgents, the report said.