Five US soldiers killed in Iraq attack

Five US soldiers were killed and seven wounded in an attack on their combat patrol in southern Baghdad, the US military said today.

The complex attack began with a roadside bomb, which detonated yesterday near the soldiers' patrol, the military said in a statement.

Small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades followed shortly after the blast, it said.

All seven wounded soldiers were evacuated to a military hospital, and one has since returned to duty, the military said.

The soldiers’ unit continues to conduct “clearing operations” in southern Baghdad, in an effort to “reduce sectarian violence and help set the conditions for the improvement of essential services, economic growth and aid in the transition of security operations with Iraqi Security Forces in the lead,” the statement said.

The victims’ names were withheld pending family notification.