Deadliest Oct claims 103 US troops in Iraq
Middle East Desk Report

BAGHDAD (Iraq)—The U.S. military on Tuesday announced the deaths of two soldiers, raising the number of troops killed in fighting in Iraq this month to 103. In a brief statement, the military said one Baghdad-based soldier was killed at about 5:00 p.m. Monday after being hit by small arms fire during combat in a western district of the Iraqi capital.
A second Baghdad-based soldier was killed at around 5:30 p.m. Monday when his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb just south of the city. The names of the soldiers were being withheld pending notification of their families.
October already is the fourth deadliest month for American troops since the war began in March 2003. The U.S. lost 107 troops in Iraq in January 2005; at least 135 in April 2004, and 137 in November 2004.
U.S. troops on Tuesday abandoned checkpoints around the Shiite militia stronghold of Sadr City on orders from Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the latest in a series of moves by the Iraqi leader to assert his authority with the U.S. administration. The U.S. military announced the deaths of two soldiers in fighting in the Baghdad area on Monday, one from small arms fire, the other from a roadside bomb. Those brought the number of troops killed in Iraq this month to 103.