Fourteen US soldiers have been killed in the last three days in Iraq, mainly in roadside bombings, the US military has said.

Four soldiers died in a single blast during search operations north-west of Baghdad on Sunday, the military said.

On the same day, two US soldiers were killed and five wounded in two separate roadside blasts.

In May, 127 US soldiers were killed in Iraq, the deadliest month for US forces since November 2004.

In Saturday's attacks, one soldier died and two others were wounded in an explosion near a vehicle in restive Diyala province, north of Baghdad, where US troops are fighting an al-Qaeda insurgency.

Another soldier was killed in a separate attack in Diyala.

Two Task Force Lightning soldiers were killed when their patrol was hit by a roadside bomb in northern Nineveh province.

In western Baghdad, a roadside bomb killed one Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier and wounded two others during clashes.

Another soldier from the same division died and eight were wounded in a roadside bombing elsewhere in western Baghdad.

One Task Force Marne soldier died after being shot while on patrol south of Baghdad, the military said.

On Friday, one Task Force Marne soldier died after approaching two men for questioning near a mosque south-west of Baghdad. The military had earlier reported that this soldier had died on Saturday.

At least 3,490 US troops have died since the US-led invasion in March 2003.

Photo caption

US troops in Iraq