U.S. soldier killed by roadside bomb near Baghdad
Four private contractors died in a similar attack a day earlier in northern Iraq.
BAGHDAD — An American soldier was killed this morning when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle west of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
The military also announced the deaths of four private contractors in a similar attack the previous day in northern Iraq. Eight contractors were injured in that bombing, which occurred about 15 miles south of the city of Mosul.
It did not disclose the nationalities of the contractors, and local authorities had no additional information on the incident.
At least 4,115 American service members have been killed since U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq in March 2003, according to the independent website icasualties.org.
In other violence, the U.S. military today disputed a police account of a bombing the previous day in the city of Baqubah.
Iraqi police had reported that a female suicide bomber killed nine people and injured 12. The military said the explosion was caused by a bomb planted in a women's clothing store, which it said killed one Iraqi woman and injured 16 others.
The reason for the discrepancies was not immediately clear.
The number of attacks nationwide has dropped to its lowest level since 2004, according to the U.S. military. But commanders regularly warn that militants remain capable of deadly violence.
alexandra.zavis@latimes.com
