A US paratrooper was killed and another seriously wounded in a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack at a weapons collection centre in Baghdad.
"The soldiers were evacuated to a field medical facility for treatment, and one soldier later died of his injuries. The injured soldier is listed in critical condition," the US military's Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement.
"The soldiers were manning the weapons collection point when a van with four passengers stopped in a nearby alleyway approximately 250 metres from their location," it said.
"Two attackers exited the van, and each fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the squad," said Centcom, adding that the attackers fled down the alleyway.
It said that US forces launched a search of the area for the assailants, while the names of the casualties were withheld pending notification of the next of kin.
The paratroopers were from the 82nd Airborne Divisions 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Centcom said.
US-led coalition forces are operating weapons collection points throughout Baghdad under a ban on all concealed or heavy weapons aimed at easing the flood of firearms in post-war Iraq.
A total of 30 US service personnel have died in fighting or accidents in Iraq since May 1st, when US President George W. Bush declared the war on Iraq effectively over, according to an AFP toll.
AFP