One U.S. soldier was killed by small arms fire on Thursday in western Baghdad, the U.S. military said on Friday.

A Multi-National Division - Baghdad unit was "returning from conducting a security patrol when they came under attack by small arms fire," the military said in a statement.

The latest death brings the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq since March 2003 to some 3,005, according to media count based on Pentagon figures.

Source: Xinhua