Just another day in paradise………. This is turning out to be a deadly month for our troops. 52 deaths already. 5 yesterday.

BAGHDAD: Three U.S. soldiers and two Iraqi translators were killed in two attacks south of Baghdad, the military said on Friday. Eight soldiers were wounded.

In the worst of the two attacks Thursday, two soldiers were killed and seven wounded in an attack on their base south of the capital. The two Iraqi interpreters died in that attack.

The military statement said U.S. forces dispatched a quick reaction force and attack helicopters to relieve the unit.

In a second attack Friday, the military said, one soldier was killed and one wounded in a roadside bombing, also south of Baghdad.

The names of those killed and wounded were withheld until family could be notified, the military said.

It’s reported that Iraqi civilian deaths are down in Baghdad, up in other areas, and the U.S. deaths in Baghdad are up since the surge started.

BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraqi civilian deaths have fallen in Baghdad in the two months since the Feb. 14 start of the U.S.-led offensive, according to an Associated Press tally.

Outside the capital, however, civilian deaths are up as Sunni and Shiite extremists shift their operations to avoid the crackdown.

And the sweeps have taken a heavy toll on U.S. forces: Deaths among American soldiers climbed 21 percent in Baghdad compared with the previous two months.

Since the crackdown began Feb. 14, U.S. military officials have spoken of encouraging signs that security is improving in the capital but have cautioned against drawing any firm conclusions until at least the summer.

Figures compiled by the AP from Iraqi police reports show that 1,586 civilians were killed in Baghdad between the start of the offensive and Thursday.

That represents a sharp drop from the 2,871 civilians who died violently in the capital during the two months that preceded the security crackdown.

Outside the capital, 1,504 civilians were killed between Feb. 14 and Thursday, April 12 compared with 1,009 deaths during the two previous months, the AP figures show.

More at the International Herald Tribune

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