Insurgents kill 3 U.S. troops in Iraq

An insurgent attack in western Iraq killed three Marines on Saturday, the U.S. military said in a news release, disclosing no further details about the incident.

The latest deaths bring to 78 the number of U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq so far this month, making it the deadliest month for Americans in nearly a year.

Anti-American insurgents have launched a bombing and shooting campaign that has in part coincided with Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting and atonement, as well as the midterm U.S. election and a more active American military presence in Baghdad and other areas.

On Friday, a roadside bomb near the southern city of Diwaniya killed a Salvadoran army captain and injured four of his fellow soldiers, according to news agencies.

At least five Salvadoran soldiers have been killed in Iraq since the conflict started.

Three soldiers from El Salvador, Denmark and Britain have died in Iraq this month.

At least 2,791 American military personnel, 119 British troops and 119 soldiers from other countries have died in Iraq since the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

In addition to an increase in deaths, more than 1,300 U.S. military personnel have been wounded in action since Sept. 1.

This total compares with about 1,100 for July and August, according to Pentagon figures compiled by icasualties.org, a website that tracks coalition casualty figures in Iraq and Afghanistan.