Five US troops die ahead of Iraq poll

INSURGENTS killed five US soldiers in separate attacks in Baghdad yesterday and bombed more polling stations across the country, sending a message that if Iraqis suffer on election day, "you have only yourselves to blame."

A US Army helicopter also crashed last night in south-western Baghdad, US officials said. There was no word on the fate of the crew. Four Iraqi police were killed in a car bombing in the capital.

With crucial national elections tomorrow, Iraqi officials announced the arrests of three more purported lieutenants of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, including the Jordanian terror mastermind's military advisor and chief of operations in Baghdad.