FIVE U.S. SOLDIERS KILLED IN IRAQ

The U.S. military has announce five U.S. soldiers have been killed in Baghdad and Kirkuk.

IED'S CLAIM LIVES OF FIVE U.S. SOLDIERS

http://tinyurl.com/34cl8r

Five US soldiers were killed in two separate attacks in Baghdad and Kirkuk, US military said in statements on Saturday.

Five US soldiers were killed Friday in Iraq in two separate attacks, including one in Baghdad, the. "Four (US) soldiers were killed when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device while the soldiers were conducting a combat patrol northwest of Baghdad" on Friday, said the US military. Another soldier was killed and three wounded by a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in the At Tamim province north of Baghdad on Friday, said another statement.

Three soldiers were also wounded and transported to a coalition forces medical facility for treatment, it added.The names of the deceased are being withheld pending next of kin notification and release by the Department of Defense.

The latest deaths brings to 3,957 the number of US soldiers killed in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, according to a tally based on independent website www.icasualties.org. The frequency of attacks on US troops in Baghdad has picked up noticeably in the past weeks.

Since the beginning of January, coalition soldiers have been targeted in attacks with improvised explosive devices (IEDS) once every three days on average, according to US military commanders.

Explosive devices are the main cause of US deaths in Iraq.