ROME - Former Italian hostage Giuliana Sgrena was operated on Monday for a bullet wound she received when US troops fired on her car after she was freed by her kidnappers in Iraq, her partner Pier Scolari said.
"Guiliana has had an operation, which was completely successful and lasted two hours," Scolari said.
The operation took place at Rome's Celio hospital, where Sgrena, a journalist with the left-wing daily Il Manifesto, was taken following her return to Italy after her release on March 4.
The hospital said at the time that a bullet had fractured her left shoulder and slightly injured her left lung.
Specialist Sandro Luziatelli, announcing the operation, said Friday her condition was improving but a second operation would probably be necessary.
Sgrena was wounded when US troops opened fire on her car as she was heading for Baghdad airport with two Italian secret service agents, one of whom, Nicola Calipari, was killed.
The incident soured relations bwteeen the United States and Italy, whose government is one of Washington's closest allies in the war in Iraq despite hostile public opinion.
03/14/2005 13:52 GMT