US soldiers exchanged fire with armed men in Baghdad on Monday, witnesses said, as five U.S. troops were reported killed in separate incidents in Iraq's western province.
The latest fighting in Baghdad started after armed men appeared on Haifa Street, saying they were hunting for Iraqis collaborating with U.S.-led occupation forces. According to the AP, witnesses said they shot and killed a man they claimed was working for the Americans.
Earlier Monday, three Iraqis were killed and four injured in clashes with U.S. forces in Haditha, northwest of Baghdad, medical sources said.
The US Army released a statement saying three soldiers attached to the Marines died in two incidents Sunday in the western province, which includes the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi. Earlier, the military said two Marines had been killed in action in Anbar on Friday.