Baghdad, Jan 24: In one of the deadliest days for
US troops since the start of 2004, at least five American
soldiers and seven Iraqis were killed today in a series of
bombings and drive-by shootings across Iraq.
The day of violence overshadowed the start of a
two-man UN security mission in Iraq and the disclosure from
US officials that troops had captured a top al-Qaeda
operative organising attacks in Iraq.
The latest US killings around the insurgency-ridden
city of Fallujah brought to 239 the number of US soldiers
killed in action since US President George W. Bush declared
major combat over in May.
Two US pilots were also killed when their helicopter
came down near the northern city of Kayyarah, but it was not
known if the crash was caused by hostile fire.
Three US soldiers were killed and six wounded when a
car bomb exploded at a military checkpoint in the western
Iraqi town of Khaldiyah today, the US military and witnesses
said. A number of Iraqis were also wounded.
Just six hours earlier, two US soldiers perished when
their convoy was attacked by home made bomb north of
Fallujah, said the US military.
Foreign fighters, trained and financed by al-Qaeda,
continue to cross into Iraq from Syria and fuel deadly
attacks in the country, the top commander of coalition ground
troops said in comments.
Bureau Report
