A US soldier who was woundedyesterday in an attack on his military convoy in Baghdad hasdied from his injuries.
The dead soldier was one of three troops hurt when a makeshift bomb exploded by their vehicle. The soldiers belonged to anon-combat unit which had been involved primarily in thereconstruction of post-war Iraq, assessing which public worksprojects have priority and assigning funds to them, a US militaryspokeswoman said.
Two soldiers in a convoy were wounded by a rocket-propelled grenade near Baghdad airport, the US military said. Another grenade attack, in the town of Samarra, hurt a sixth soldier.
In Falluja, a Sunni Muslim stronghold near Baghdad where Americans and Iraqis have clashed before, a US commander denied troops had caused an explosion that locals said killed nine people at a mosque, including the imam, or prayer leader.
The US soldier's death raises to at least 23 the number of Americanskilled by hostile fire in Iraq since US President Mr George W.Bush declared major combat over on May 1st.
Two other Americans who had gone missing were found dead inuncertain circumstances and six British solders were killed aweek ago in the south of Iraq.
The US-led occupation forces have come under a barrage ofattacks in recent days. American officials blame the attacks onhighly trained members of Iraq's former army and intelligenceservices loyal to deposed President Saddam Hussein.