Roadside bombs and enemy fire killed nine American soldiers and one Marine in action in and around Baghdad, the US military reported yesterday, raising to 69 the number of US troops killed in October.

Four soldiers died when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle at about 6:50 am (0350 GMT) Tuesday morning west of Baghdad, the military said in a brief statement.

Three soldiers attached to Task Force Lightning, assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, were killed and one wounded during combat in Diyala province east of Baghdad, the military said. The wounded soldier was evacuated to a military hospital.

Another soldier died around 9:30 am (0630 GMT) on Tuesday when suspected insurgents attacked his patrol in northern Baghdad, the military said. One more soldier died in another roadside bombing early in the afternoon.

A Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 7 also died on Tuesday from injuries sustained during fighting in Al Anbar Province, it said.

No other details of the attacks were given and the soldiers' names were being withheld pending notification of their families.

October's death toll an average of almost four per day is on a pace that if continued would make the month the deadliest for coalition forces since January 2005.

The only higher months would be November 2004, at 137 and April, 2004, at 135.

The US military has said the upsurge in casualties was expected as American forces, joined by their Iraqi counterparts, flooded into the capital and its environs last month to conduct a crackdown on insurgent and militia killings.

The military credits the crackdown with wiping out many insurgent cell and confiscation of vast amounts of explosives, weapons and ammunition.

But patrolling Baghdad's violent streets has also left US forces highly vulnerable, yet again, to insurgent attacks and roadside bombings.

According to a count, October is also shaping up to be the deadliest month for Iraqis since April 2005.

In October, more than 767 Iraqis have been killed in war-related violence, an average of 45 every day.

Source: China Daily