U.S. army says soldier killed in IED blast in Salah al-Din

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: A U.S. soldier was killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack that targeted his patrol in the province of Salah al-Din, according to a U.S. army release on Sunday. “A Coalition soldier died of wounds he sustained when an IED went off near his patrol in Salah al-Din,” read the statement as received by IraqiNews.com news agency. It did not give further details. The announced death brings to nine the number of U.S. fatalities in April and to 4272 the total number since the beginning of combat operations in Iraq in March 2003. Five U.S. Coalition Soldiers were reportedly killed, and one wounded from a suicide vehicle borne improvised explosive device attack on Friday (April 10) in Mosul, the capital city of Ninewa province, 405 km north of Baghdad. March 2009 saw a record lowest number of U.S. deaths – nine, including five who died of non-combat causes. A total of 486 U.S. troops were killed in 2003, while 849 died in 2004. Other 846 troops were killed in 2005, and 822 soldiers in 2006. The year 2007 remains the one with the highest U.S. death toll with 904. November 2004, which witnessed fierce battles between U.S. forces and armed groups in Falluja city, Anbar province, remains the month that saw the highest U.S. death toll with 137. AmR (S) 1