Two U.S. soldiers killed in Baghdad

Two American soldiers were killed in Baghdad in two attacks on Monday, the U.S. military said on Tuesday.

A U.S. soldier, assigned to the Multi-National Division-Baghdad, was killed at approximately 5:00 p.m. (1400 GMT) Monday by small arms fire while conducting combat operation in western Baghdad, the U.S. military said in a statement.

Thirty minutes later, another soldier was killed when an improvised-explosive device struck his vehicle south of Baghdad, the military said in a separate statement.

The soldiers' names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin, according to the statements.

The latest deaths brought to more than 100 the number of U.S. soldiers killed in October, the heaviest loss for the military in a single month this year.

Since the U.S.-led war in Iraq broke out in March 2003, more than 2,805 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq, according to media count.

Source: Xinhua