Seven US soldiers, interpreter killed in Iraq bombings

BAGHDAD: Seven US soldiers and their interpreter were killed by two different roadside bombs in Iraq, the US military said on Sunday.   

In western Baghdad, six soldiers and an interpreter were killed in a single blast on Saturday while patrolling the capital in search of weapons and bomb-making materials.   

Increased US patrols as part of the new Baghdad security plane to regain control of the violent capital have resulted in a sharp spike in military casualties over the past few months.   

In the southern city of Diwaniyah, a roadside bomb tore through a US military vehicle killing one soldier and wounding two others also on Saturday.   

At least 15 US servicemen have been reported killed just this weekend and 76 so far this month, putting May on track to be one of the bloodiest months in the four-year-old conflict.   

The deaths bring the total US casualty toll since the March 2003 US-led invasion to 3,419 according to an AFP count based on Pentagon figures.