Supreme Court rejects U.S. troops' appeal over 'burn pits' injuries

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned away a bid by U.S. troops sickened by smoke from open-air pits used to burn waste in Iraq and Afghanistan to revive a lawsuit against defense contractors KBR Inc and Halliburton Co.

The justices left in place a 2018 lower court ruling in favor of the companies. The former service members said in the lawsuit that they developed various cancers, neurological injuries and other illnesses, often fatal, because of KBR's negligent operation of the burn pits.

(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Will Dunham)