A U.S. soldier was killed by small arms fire during combat operations west of Baghdad, the military announced Wednesday. The soldier was killed Tuesday in the city of Ramadi, said Marine Capt. Jeffrey Pool, a spokesman. The soldier was attached to the U.S. Army's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, which is assigned to the II Marine Expeditionary Force. The military withheld the soldier's identity pending notification of relatives. Ramadi, an insurgent stronghold, is 115 kilometers (70 miles) west of Baghdad. At least 1,725 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. At least 1,320 died as a result of hostile action. The figures include five military civilians.
