BAGHDAD, Iraq - The number of American troops killed in Iraq in October reached the highest monthly total in nearly two years on Thursday after four Marines and a sailor died of wounds suffered while fighting in same Sunni insurgent stronghold.

The U.S. military said 96 U.S. troops have died so far in October, the highest monthly total since October 2005, when the same number of American forces was killed. The highest monthly death toll prior to that came in Jan. 2005, when 107 U.S. troops were killed.

The spike in deaths has been a major factor behind rising anti-war sentiment in the United States, fueling calls for President Bush to change tactics.

Polls show a majority of Americans are opposed to Bush’s handling of Iraq, and at a news conference in Washington on Wednesday, Bush indicated he shared the public’s frustration even as he pushed back against calls for troop withdrawals.

“I know many Americans are not satisfied with the situation in Iraq,” Bush said. “I-m not satisfied either.”

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