Baghdad, 2008 Mar 11, IRIB
 
A suicide bomber killed five American soldiers as they chatted with shop owners while on a foot patrol in central Baghdad on Monday, the deadliest attack on American forces in the heavily fortified capital in more than eight months.

The soldiers were walking in a shopping district of Mansour neighborhood when a man detonated his explosives about 30 feet (nine meters) away, said a police officer who witnessed the attack.

He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to talk to the media.

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

Three other American soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter were also wounded in the attack.

Iraqi police said two civilians were also killed.