Baghdad, June 30: The US military says three American soldiers have been killed in southern Iraq as June marks the deadliest month in combat related fatalities for US forces in Iraq since 2009.
A US military statement said the troops were killed on Wednesday, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
The statement did not identify the fallen soldiers, nor did it provide further details about the occurrence.
The killing of the three US soldiers raised the total death toll for American forces in Iraq to 4,469 since March 2003, according to an AP count.
US military commanders warn that there could be a rise in attacks against US troops as they prepare to withdraw from Iraq. Many of the remaining US military bases in southern Iraq have faced a surge in rocket and mortar attacks in recent months.
Experts say the prolonged presence of US troops in Iraq and intensifying efforts by US military officials to maintain the troops in the country beyond December 2011 are the root causes of armed attacks against American soldiers.
Over one million Iraqis have died as a result of the 2003 invasion, according to a study conducted by the prestigious British polling group, Opinion Research Business.
—-Agencies