US soldiers arrested nearly 50 people and confiscated weapons in several raids in Iraq's volatile Sunni Triangle today after a series of bombings that killed six US soldiers.
An American soldier died today of wounds suffered in a grenade attack on his vehicle while patroling the central Iraqi town of Beiji.
Five other US soldiers were killed in separate bombings and a blast that narrowly missed an American convoy killed four Iraqis and wounded about 40 others in a bloody day of attacks yesterday.
Today, US soldiers raided several locations in Baqouba, 35 miles north-east of the capital, and captured 46 people including three men suspected of involvement in anti-coalition activities. The remaining 43 were detained for possessing weapons without authorisation.
In Mukayshifa, a town south of Tikrit, soldiers raided a house today and confiscated 100 of hand grenades.
In other developments today, the police chief in the town of Tathrib was on an unspecified suspicion of corruption.
US soldiers searched his house yesterday and confiscated five AK-47 rifles, two other rifles and ammunition.
Elsewhere, a roadside bomb exploded near a US patrol in Baghdad, but no injuries were reported.
AP