GI Is Killed, 6 Soldiers Hurt in Iraq

Insurgents detonated a bomb alongside a U.S. military convoy west of Baghdad on Friday, killing one soldier and wounding two others, the military said.

The attack occurred in Ramadi, about 60 miles west of the Iraqi capital, U.S. Central Command said. The names of the casualties were withheld pending notification of relatives.

In another bomb attack, an explosive made from a land mine went off near the southern city of Mahaweel as a Polish convoy drove by, wounding two soldiers.

Two other soldiers were slightly injured when insurgents fired projectiles at coalition headquarters here. A coalition spokeswoman said she did not know the victims’ nationalities.

As the violence continued, Britain’s top envoy to Iraq warned that an increase in major attacks was inevitable.

Jeremy Greenstock said in a speech in London that 2004 would be “quite difficult” in terms of the political management of Iraq, lack of unity among Iraqis and anti-occupation violence. “The incidents are going to continue. Some of them will be large and, I am afraid, spectacular,” he said.

Meanwhile Friday, the U.S. reported that a 1st Armored Division soldier died in Baghdad from what was described as a “nonhostile” gunshot wound. There were no further details.