Suicide bomber kills five US soldiers

Five American soldiers on a foot patrol were killed in a suicide bomb attack in central Baghdad today.

Four of the soldiers died at the scene and the fifth died later from wounds, the US military said.

Three others and an Iraqi interpreter were injured.

The soldiers were killed "when their dismounted patrol was struck by an explosion" and "initial reports indicated the explosive device was a suicide vest," said a statement.

The military did not provide more details. The name of the soldiers were being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The attack was the deadliest attack since January when five US soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb in the northern city of Mosul.

The deaths brought to 3,979 the number of members of the US military who have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003.