A U.S. military commander in Baghdad says significant progress is being made in reducing attacks against security forces and civilians in the Iraqi capital since a large-scale operation was launched several weeks ago. Army Colonel Robert Scurlock made the remarks during a teleconference from Baghdad.
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Gunmen and bombers claimed at least 69 lives in Iraq on Sunday, even as Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki repeated the assertions of Iraqi and U.S. leaders that violence was easing from a wartime high set earlier this summer.
The U.S. military said seven American soldiers were killed in and around Baghdad over the weekend: four died when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in northern Baghdad, one was killed by a roadside bomb in western Baghdad and one by gunfire in the eastern part of the capital.
An American soldier also was killed Saturday in a roadside bomb southeast of Baghdad, making it one of the deadliest weekends for the U.S. military.