Nine U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq

Nine U.S. soldiers have been killed in separate insurgent attacks in Iraq in the past 48 hours, the U. S. military said on Monday.

Three U.S. soldiers, two from 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group and one Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5, died Saturday from wounds sustained due to "enemy action" while operating in Anbar province, the military said in a statement.

Two more soldiers assigned to the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) were killed in a roadside bomb attack while conducting a security patrol in the volatile Anbar province on Saturday, the military said in a separate statement.

Another U.S. soldier was killed Saturday when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle near Taji, some 20 km north of Baghdad.

On Sunday, two soldiers, assigned to 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, were killed and two others wounded when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb while conducting operations north of Baghdad, the military said.

A ninth soldier from the Multi-National Division-Baghdad was killed during "combat operations" in Baghdad on Sunday, it added.

More than 2,890 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led war on Iraq broke out in March 2003, according to media count.

Source: Xinhua