Bloody Thursday for US military in Iraq

Roadside bombs, favoured by the insurgents but feared by US soldiers for their devastating effectiveness, accounted for seven of the American deaths.

US commanders have expressed concern in recent months at the growing use of more powerful and sophisticated bombs.

George W. Bush and his Republican party face pressure at home over the rising American death toll, but the US president said on Wednesday a cut in troops would be based on the situation on the ground and decisions by military commanders, not a timetable imposed from Washington.

The United States hopes the formation of a coalition government encompassing leaders of Iraqi's Shia, Kurdish and Sunni groups after last month's election will help undermine the Sunni Arab-led insurgency and pave the way for a troop withdrawal.