Three U.S. soldiers were killed on Thursday in an ambush near the hometown of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, a US military spokesman said.

The attack occurred eight km south of the ousted Iraqi leader's hometown of Tikrit at a suspected weapons site.

The three soldiers were from the 4th Infantry Division.

Two other US soldiers were injured earlier in the day in an attack in the same area.

The new deaths brought to 76 the number of U.S. soldiers killed in action in Iraq since Bush declared major action over on May 1.

(Xinhua News Agency September 19, 2003)