MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Five U.S. soldiers were killed in separate guerrilla attacks in Iraq, the U.S. military said Friday, three in or near the northern city of Mosul, one north of Baghdad and the fifth south of the capital.

The deaths brought to 1,119 the number of U.S. troops killed in action since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

In the latest incident Friday, one soldier was killed and two were wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near a U.S. military base north of the town of Diwaniya, about 180 km (110 miles) south of Baghdad, the military said.

Earlier Friday, a soldier was killed and two were wounded in a car bomb blast about 40 km (25 miles) north of the capital, the military said in a statement.

The other incidents happened Thursday. In the first, a car bomb exploded next to a U.S. army patrol in Mosul, killing one soldier and wounding three.

Another soldier was shot dead in an exchange of fire with guerrillas in Mosul. In addition, a roadside bomb killed a soldier and wounded another in an attack near Tal Afar, about 60 km (40 miles) west of Mosul.

U.S. troops have been battling to keep order in Mosul, where an insurgency broke out in November when almost the entire police force in Iraq's third largest city deserted.

The 8,000-strong U.S. force in Mosul has said it is steadily returning stability to the city.

Thursday, a resident tipped off U.S. troops to the presence of six roadside bombs and the devices were defused, the military said.

bump

i read somewhere that the US and Iraqi police would plan (another) "major operation" to "pacify" the town of Ramadi... the continued activities of insurgents in places such as Mosul, and also Ramadi, show that it is capable of sustaining such assaults and renewing itself, since it enjoys continuing political legitimacy with certain sectors of the Iraqi population. and more generally, the US occupation stirs social instability in Iraq.

I'm surprised US forces are still taking casualties. I would have thought Iraqi forces would be the one out there as targets. But still many more Iraqi's die (insurgents and Iraqi police) for each US soldier.

Soon, US will be able to pull back in to their bases completely and let the Iraqi's fight it out by themself and only step in to the fight if the insurgents are winning.

Those soldiers just need to "suck it up" and "drive on"...

DRINK WATER!

HUAW!!!



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