( Reuters ) - Seven U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq, including four in the western province of Anbar, the U.S. military said on Friday.
In a statement, the military said four Marines were killed in the vast desert region on Thursday while conducting combat operations. It gave no further details.
U.S. President George W. Bush visited Anbar on Monday and hailed improved security in the province, previously the most dangerous region in Iraq for American soldiers.
Separately, the military said three soldiers were killed in northern Iraq on Thursday when an explosion hit their vehicle.
It said the attack occurred in Nineveh province. It gave no other details, such as whether the blast was caused by a roadside bomb or a car bomb.
The deaths take to more than 3,750 the number of U.S. soldiers killed since the start of the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Eighteen U.S. soldiers have died so far this month.