US soldiers in Iraq searchedfor two missing comrades today and checked reports that athird was shot in a fresh outburst of the violence which hassurged against occupying forces in recent days.
US officers said they had detained three Iraqis inconnection with the disappearance of the soldiers on Wednesdayabout 40 km (25 miles) north of Baghdad. Troops drove throughdusty roads on the lookout for the missing men.
Residents of a Baghdad suburb said they had seen a USsoldier shot in the head early today as he browsed in adigital video disc store.
US military spokesmen said they hadnot heard of the incident but were looking into the report.
The military said a US soldier was killed yesterday inan ambush near the city of Najaf, bringing to 21 the number ofUS personnel killed since President George W. Bush declaredmajor combat in Iraq over on May 1st.
Yesterday alone, two soldiers and an Iraqi driver werekilled in separate attacks on US military targets.
Six British soldiers were killed in the south on Tuesday. Nearly 20 US andBritish soldiers were wounded in those incidents.
In a move sure to be seen as reflecting increasing disquietin Washington over the volatile postwar situation in Iraq, thePentagon has sent an independent mission to the country toreview operations, Britain's Financial Times reported.
It also said a report by Kroll, a corporate security group,for companies considering investing in Iraq or taking part inits reconstruction had concluded that there was an even chancethat the country could descend into open revolt.