Three U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq

Three more American soldiers have been killed in Iraq, the U.S. military said on Sunday, bringing the death toll of American troops in Iraq this month to 81.

A U.S. soldier died on Sunday when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in western Baghdad, the U.S. military said.

A Marine assigned to Regiment Combat Team 5 died on Saturday from wounds sustained in combat in Iraq's volatile western province of al-Anbar, according to a separate statement.

In Salahuddin province, another U.S. soldier assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team under Task Force Lightning was killed and three others were wounded on Saturday in fighting, the military said.

The latest fatalities raised the U.S. troops' death toll in Iraq this month to 81, making October probably be the deadliest month for U.S. forces since January 2005.

American commanders have attributed the death toll rise to a

surge in violence during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan and more U.S. operations in Baghdad in a bid to curb rampant sectarian violence.

Since the U.S.-led war in Iraq broke out in March 2003, more than 2790 U.S. soldiers have been killed, according to media count.

Source: Xinhua