Bomb Kills Three U.S. Soldiers In Iraq
Two U.S. soldiers were also injured in the attack on the Bradley fighting vehicle as a convoy patrolled a road near the town of Taji, about 19 miles north of Baghdad, looking for landmines, Lieutenant Colonel Bill MacDonald of the U.S. 4th Infantry Division (4ID) was quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"The improvised explosive device detonated by the front Bradley in the patrol, causing the vehicle to catch fire," he added.
MacDonald said the five fatalities, three U.S. 4ID soldiers and two from the paramilitary Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, had all been in the same vehicle when the attack occurred at 7:45 am (0445 GMT).
A U.S. military quick reaction force detained three people fleeing the scene in a white truck and seized bomb-making equipment, added the military official.
The injured were evacuated for treatment in Baghdad, MacDonald said.
The latest deaths brought to 500 the total number of U.S. troops who have died, since the Iraq invasion was launched last March, including 347 in combat, according to an AFP count, based on Pentagon-released figures.
A total of 228 U.S. occupation troops have been killed in combat with resistance fighters since U.S. President George W. Bush declared major fighting over on May 1.
