Three American troops died in different attacks west of Baghdad, it was reported Thursday. A statement by the US army said that one soldier died after suffering of injuries when his vehicle was exploded during patrolling last Sunday in Anbar Province. Another US soldier killed during his duty in Ramadi in a bomb explosion on Monday and another killed near the Syrian - Iraqi borders on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Iraq Shiites observed on Thursday the mourning ceremony of Ashura. General Razeq Abd Ali al-Tayi, the Karbala police chief, said "We expect at least a million pilgrims to be present by noon today in Karbala." Police said about 8,000 policemen and soldiers had been deployed to bolster security, according to Reuters. The ceremony was observed under tight security in other locations across Iraq, including in Baghdad. Last year, attacks on Ashura pilgrims in Kerbala and Baghdad killed more than 170 people.
