BAGHDAD: Nine Iraqi soldiers were killed on Friday when US-led coalition war planes mistakenly struck at troops near the city of Fallujah, Iraq's Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi said on Saturday. 'The coalition air forces were covering the advance of army ground troops near Fallujah because the Iraqi army helicopters were not able to fly due to the bad weather. The final death toll of the strike is nine soldiers killed, including an army officer,' al-Obeidi told a news conference.