At least three American soldiers assigned to a Marine unit were killed Saturday in fighting in the western province of Anbar, the U.S. military said.

They were the first U.S. fatalities reported in Iraq since Tuesday and only the eight American deaths here this month.

A statement said the three were assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force died due to "enemy action."

No further details were released and the names were withheld pending notification kin.

Mosques attacked in Iraq

Several people have been killed and wounded in attacks on mosques in Iraq.

Three people were killed and two wounded when a mortar round landed on a Sunni mosque in Baghdad's northern al-Wazeriya district on Friday while two people were killed and two wounded by a car bomb near another Sunni mosque in the western al-Jihad district.

Seven people were wounded when a roadside bomb exploded outside a third Sunni mosque in Baquba, a town 64km (40 miles) north of Baghdad in Diyala province, police said.

Two people were killed and four policemen wounded in clashes between police and fighters when the Salman Pak Shia mosque, southeast of Baghdad, came under attack, the US military said.

It said the National Police Headquarters located near the mosque was also attacked.

The military said five of the alleged attackers were captured and detained for questioning.

The Iraqi government has imposed a four-hour ban on movement of vehicles on Fridays in Baghdad and Diyala to stop such attacks

PHOTO CAPTION

Local Iraqis inspect the damage in Baghdad, Friday, July 7, 2006. (AP)