US soldier killed in Iraq attack

An American soldier was killed and four companions wounded today in an attack near Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit, a military statement said.

It was at least the seventh US soldier killed in attacks in Iraq over the past two weeks.

Gunmen opened fire on the troops using small arms and a rocket-propelled grenade, said the brief statement released by US Central Command in Qatar.

The injured troops were evacuated by helicopter and ambulance to medical facilities in the area, the statement said. The names of the soldiers and their unit were withheld to allow notification of relatives.

No further details were available.

Tikrit, which remains a sensitive area as American forces try to keep a fragile peace in post-war Iraq, is located about 190 kilometres (120 miles) north of Baghdad.

Dozens of US soldiers have been killed or injured in a spate of attacks in central Iraq since the end of the war nearly two months ago.

Of particular volatility is the area around Fallujah, a Sunni Muslim stronghold about 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad. More than 1,500 US Army solders from the 3rd Infantry Division were added to that area last week to prevent unrest and quell attacks on US troops.

Meanwhile, one US soldier died and two were wounded on Friday in a road accident about 35 kilometres (22 miles) north of Baghdad.

A military statement said they were providing security escort to Coalition Provisional Authority personnel at the time of the accident. The wounded soldiers were evacuated to a field hospital for treatment.