Two more US troops killed in Iraq ambushes

Two US soldiers have been killed in separate incidents near Baghdad yesterday.

On Wednesday evening, one soldier was shot and killed after his patrol was ambushed about 20 miles south the capital.

In a separate incident, one soldier was killed and another wounded when rocket-propelled grenade was fired at a convoy near Saddam Hussein's stronghold of Tikrit.

That brings to 31 the number of US personnel who have died as a result of Iraqi guerrilla action since May 1.

Yesterday, the commander of the Iraq campaign, General Tommy Franks told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the environment in the region was "challenging and volatile".

General Franks also said that coalition forces were involved in "stability operations" in Iraq – and offensive operations are continuing, he said.

"Our forces are engaged in offensive work… all over Iraq today," he said.

Also testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that Saddam Hussein loyalists were not operating freely in Iraq.

"Most of the recent attacks have been concentrated in Baghdad and in the three corridors that reach to the west, to the north and to the east out of the Iraqi capital," he said.

"At this moment, coalition forces are engaged in operations to deal with the threats in these areas.

"There are cases where the coalition forces have been seeking out and engaging pockets of enemy fighters," he said.

"The problem is real, but it's being dealt with in an orderly and forceful fashion by coalition forces."

Also, plans are being floated to re-institute the Iraqi army in three divisions located near Mosul, Baghdad and Basra.

"They will provide for territorial defence and they will conduct stability operations. Our goal is to field about nine battalions," said General Franks.

(GMcG)