US military deaths in Iraq reach 1,500
The total number of US military dead in the war in Iraq rose to 1,500, as the military announced the latest death of one of its troops.
The killing occurred yesterday in Babil province, just south of Baghdad, part of an area known as the “Triangle of Death” that’s known for the frequency of insurgent attacks on US- and Iraqi-led forces.
The soldier, assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, was killed in action “while conducting security and stability operations.”
The military did not specify where the soldier was killed.
The latest death brought to at least 1,500 the number of members of the US military who have died since the US-led war in Iraq began in March 2003. At least 1,140 died as a result of hostile action, according to the Defence Department. The figures include four military civilians.
Since May 1, 2003, when President Bush declared that major combat operations in Iraq had ended, 1,362 US military members have died. That includes at least 1,030 deaths resulting from hostile action, according to the military’s numbers.
