Militants shot and killed 15 Iraqi soldiers south of Baghdad, Iraqi police said this morning.
The attack occurred near the town of Latifiya, about 50 km southwest of Baghdad on yesterday, police in the nearby town of Mahmudiya said.
The police said the soldiers were being transported in a truck which was pulled off the road by the gunmen. Insurgents have increasingly targeted Iraqi security forces in recent months, as Iraqi police and soldiers have taken over more responsibility for national security from US-led forces.
Last month, more than 250 Iraqi police and soldiers were killed by militants, while attacks against US-led forces have fallen by more than 20 per cent over the past two months, according to the US military.
The area around Latifiya and Mahmudiya has been dubbed the "Triangle of Death" because of the frequency of insurgent attacks.
Several foreigners have also been taken hostage on the main road running through the area, near the Euphrates river.