US soldiers killed by Iraq blast

Updated 12.35 Sun Aug 12 2007

Keywords: Baghdad, US soldiers

An explosion has killed four US soldiers during their combat operations in the south of Baghdad, the US military said.

It was confirmed that four other soldiers were injured in the attack but no identification was immediately available for any of the US personnel.

The four deaths have brought the total of US troops killed in Iraq to at least 3,688 since the 2003 US-led invasion of the country

The soldiers had been posted in different areas south of Iraq's capital, as part of a task force to stop the movement of weapons, explosives and Shi'ite and Sunni Arab militants into the capital of Iraq.

A security crackdown has seen about 30,000 extra troops sent to Iraq since February to help Baghdad's coalition government meet several targets set by Washington.

The targets are meant to promote reconciliation between Iraq's warring Shi'ite majority and minority Sunni Arabs, who were dominant under Saddam Hussein.

The four deaths have brought the total number of US troops killed in Iraq to at least 3,688 since the 2003 US-led invasion of the country.