MADRID, Spain (CNN) — A Spanish judge issued an international arrest warrant Wednesday for three U.S. soldiers, charging them with murder in the death of Spanish TV cameraman Jose Couso in Baghdad, Iraq.

Couso, who worked for Spain’s Telecinco network, died at the Palestine Hotel on April 8, 2003, as U.S. forces advanced to take control of the city in April 2003.

Investigating magistrate Santiago Pedraz of the National Court will seek the extradition of the soldiers to Spain, a court spokeswoman told CNN.

They are wanted for “murder” and “a crime against the international community,” according to the warrant, a copy of which was viewed by CNN partner network CNN.

The U.S. Central Command said at the time that U.S. forces came under “significant enemy fire” from both buildings and responded “consistent with the inherent right of self-defense.” (Full story)

Al-Jazeera said its facilities were deliberately targeted, an allegation denied by U.S. Central Command.

“We don’t target journalists deliberately — not now, not ever,” said Central Command spokesman Brig. Gen. Vince Brooks.

Journalists from three Western television networks told CNN they were in the Palestine Hotel when the tank fired and saw no outgoing fire from it.

“These tragic incidents appear to be the latest example of the Iraqi regime’s continued strategy of using civilian facilities for regime military purposes,” Central Command said in a press release issued after the incident. The reference to regime was to the government of Saddam Hussein.

Also killed at the Palestine Hotel was Reuters cameraman Taras Protsyuk, 35, a Ukrainian national based in Warsaw, Poland, the news agency said. Three other employees were wounded, it said.

Al-Jazeera television reporter Tariq Ayoub was killed at the Arabic language network’s facilities on the other side of the Tigris River from the Palestine Hotel, near Iraq’s Ministry of Information. Three other Al-Jazeera employees were wounded, the network said.