Four marines and one US sailor killed in Iraq

Four US Marines and one Navy sailor have been killed in fighting in Iraq’s volatile Anbar province, the military said today.

The deaths bring October’s death toll among American forces in the country to 96.

The new monthly toll equals the previous recent monthly high, that of October 2005, continuing a trend that has October on track to be the deadliest month for US forces in two years.

The vast majority of the deaths have come in Baghdad and Anbar, a hotbed of the Sunni insurgency against US troops and their Iraqi government allies.

The sailor was assigned to the 3rd Naval Construction Regiment, the military said. Two of the Marines were attached to Regimental Combat Team 5, and two others to Regimental Combat Team 7.

All died yesterday from wounds suffered in attacks, it said. The names of those who died were being withheld pending notification of their families.