Attackers killed two American soldiers in a mortar attack and a third died from a roadside bomb blast in the latest strikes against US occupation forces in Iraq, military officials said today.
Last night's attacks and an assassination attempt on a member of Iraq's US-backed Governing Council earlier in the day cast a shadow over efforts by the country's interim leaders to entice investors with a raft of liberal economic measures.
Iraq's new finance minister announced the reforms, including allowing foreign investments into all sectors except oil, in Dubai today. But the violence plaguing the country is bound to make many investors extremely wary.
Under cover of darkness, guerrillas fired two mortar bombs yesterday evening at the Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad which is guarded and run by the US Army.
"There were two soldiers killed and 13 wounded," a military spokeswoman said, adding that the dead were military police.
She said no detainees were injured in the attack. On August 17th, assailants fired mortar rounds on the prison killing six Iraqis and wounding 59.
US forces hold common criminals and Iraqis suspected of guerrilla attacks against them at the jail, one of the largest in Iraq and which human rights groups say was notorious for the execution and torture of inmates during Saddam Hussein's rule.
Also last night, a soldier from the US 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment was killed by a bomb attack on his vehicle. He was pronounced dead on his way to a military hospital, US Central Command said in a statement.
The deaths raised to 79 the number of US soldiers killed by hostile fire since President George W. Bush declared major combat in Iraq over on May 1st, following the war that ousted Saddam the previous month.
The rising death toll is putting more pressure on Bush at home as he seeks a new UN resolution to create a multinational force for Iraq.
But France and Germany, opponents of the US-led war that toppled Saddam, are demanding that the US agree to a fast handover of power to Iraqis. The US believes a speedy power transfer would lead to failure.
Leaders of France and Germany stood firm on their demand at weekend talks in Berlin with Britain's Mr Tony Blair, casting doubt on whether talks with the United States this week will make progress.