The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Baghdad

Five US soldiers were killed Friday in Iraq in two separate attacks, including one in Baghdad, the US military said in statements on Saturday.

"Four (US) soldiers were killed when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device while the soldiers were conducting a combat patrol northwest of Baghdad" on Friday, said the US military. Another soldier was killed and three wounded by a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in the At Tamim province north of Baghdad on Friday, said another statement.

The latest deaths brings to 3,957 the number of US soldiers killed in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, according to an AFP tally based on independent website www.icasualties.org.

The frequency of attacks on US troops in Baghdad has picked up noticeably in the past weeks.

Since the beginning of January, coalition soldiers have been targeted in attacks with improvised explosive devices (IEDS) once every three days on average, according to US military commanders.

Explosive devices are the main cause of US deaths in Iraq.

Reuters report adds: The head of Iraq's main Sunni Arab bloc said on Saturday the bloc had agreed to rejoin the Shi'ite-led government, but other senior officials said no final decision had been made.

"The Accordance Front has decided to return to the government. The results of the negotiations with the government have been positive," Adnan al-Dulaimi, the head of the bloc, told Reuters. But Salim al-Jubouri, spokesman for the Front and a senior lawmaker, said: "This is not true information. Negotiations are still going on. We have made good progress but we are still waiting for some things to be settled."

Another senior bloc official also said no final decision had been made. The Front pulled its six ministers out of the cabinet of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in August, plunging the government into crisis.

The bloc has been demanding greater Sunni Arab representation in government and the military, and a greater say in security matters.