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Two U.S. soldiers killed in ambushesOne convoy attacked in Baghdad, one near Haditha
CAMP DOHA, Kuwait (CNN) -- WASHINGTON (CNN) – Two attacks on U.S. soldiers Monday in Iraq have left two dead and four others wounded, military officials said. One soldier was killed and three hurt near Baghdad International Airport on Monday when their Humvee was blown up by an explosive device known as a "satchel charge" thrown under the vehicle, according to military spokesmen. The wounded soldiers were in the lead vehicle of a three-vehicle convoy at the time of the attack, according to the spokesmen. Soldiers from the trailing vehicles fired their weapons at the man who "came up out of a ditch and threw the charge," according to an Army officer who arrived at the scene shortly after the explosion. Those soldiers then rushed to the disabled Humvee and pulled the wounded soldiers from their vehicle shortly before secondary explosions from fuel and ammunition began detonating, the officer told CNN. He said the soldiers believe their gunfire wounded the attacker, but they did not pursue him because they were attending to the wounded soldiers. Officials with Combined Joint Task Force 7 in Baghdad told CNN that the four soldiers were taken by helicopter to medical facilities for treatment. One later died, officials said. The conditions of the others was not immediately available. The attack occurred on the road between the airport and downtown Baghdad, a spokesman said. Earlier Monday near Haditha, about 120 miles [192 kilometers] northwest of Baghdad, a U.S. soldier was killed and another wounded when their convoy was ambushed, U.S. Central Command said. The attack took place about 6:15 a.m. [10:15 p.m. Sunday EDT] as the eight-vehicle convoy from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment was carrying supplies from Asad Air Base to Qaim. The attackers fired small arms, rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns at the convoy, Central Command said. Helicopters and ground forces were dispatched to secure the area and hunt for the attackers. The wounded soldier was evacuated. Both soldiers' names were withheld until relatives could be notified. Before Monday, 162 Americans had died, 115 of them in hostile fire, since the U.S.-led coalition entered Iraq in March in a successful bid to topple Saddam Hussein's regime. In all, 196 coalition forces have been killed, 126 of them in hostile fire. -- CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Plante contributed to this report.
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