Iraq cafe blast kills 15; U.S. announces 9 deaths

updated 6:23 a.m. ET May 23, 2007

BAGHDAD - A suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt blew himself up inside a coffee shop east of Baghdad on Wednesday morning, killing 15 people, police and medical sources said, while the U.S. military said seven soldiers died in attacks.

The blast hit a restaurant in Mandali, on the Iranian border 60 miles east of Baghdad.

Elsewhere across Iraq, roadside bombings and gunbattles killed seven U.S. soldiers and two Marines, the U.S. military said Wednesday.

In the deadliest incident, three Multinational Division-Center soldiers were killed and two wounded when their patrol was hit by a series of roadside bombs Tuesday, the military said in a statement. The statement did not say where the attack, which also wounded an interpreter, happened.

Two Task Force-Lightning soldiers were killed in Baghdad Province when an explosion blew up near their vehicle on Tuesday, the military said. Another three soldiers were wounded in the incident.

Two U.S. Marines assigned to Multinational Forces-West were also killed Tuesday in combat operations in the Sunni-dominated Anbar province, the military said.

A roadside bomb hit an army foot patrol Tuesday southwest of Baghdad, killing a Task Force Marine soldier. Another soldier was wounded in the blast, the military said.

A Multi-National Division-Baghdad soldier was also killed Tuesday when his patrol was attacked with small arms fire in western Baghdad, the military said.

The military declined to release the names of those killed pending notification of their relatives.

The deaths make at least 3,431 members of the U.S. military who have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

MORE FROM MIDEAST & N. AFRICA

Mideast & N. Africa Section Front

Palestinians to seek endorsement of statehood Bingo’s comeback erases divisions in Baghdad Iraqi Sunni Arab VP threatens to veto election law Iran cracks down on online opposition Reports: Iran ex-deputy minister jailed in Israel Iran's first lady makes rare speech at Rome summit Mideast & N. Africa Section Front   Add Mideast & N. Africa headlines to your news reader: