Insurgents kill U.S. soldier in north Iraq

An American soldier was killed by insurgents' gunfire during operations in northern Iraq on Sunday, the U.S. military said.

"A United States Forces -- Iraq soldier died of wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire Sunday during advisory operations in northern Iraq," a military statement said without giving further details.

The name of the killed was being withheld pending notification of next of kin, the statement added.

The latest death is the second for U.S. soldiers in the country in November so far, and has bring the number of U.S. soldiers who have been killed in Iraq to about 4,429 since the breakout of the U.S.- led war on Iraq in 2003, according to media account based on Pentagon figures.

By September 1, the U.S. forces have formally ended their combat operations, cutting the U.S. military force to about 50,000. Washington said that the remaining U.S. troops will stay in Iraq for training and supporting Iraqi security forces, along with conducting joint counter-terrorism operations.

The U.S. troops will completely pull out of Iraq by the end of 2011 according to the security pact named (Status of Forces Agreement, or SOFA) signed late in 2008 between Baghdad and Washington.

Source: Xinhua