A US soldier was killed Friday in a car bomb targeting a US patrol north of Baghdad, the US military said Saturday.

The blast also wounded four others near Baiji, some 200 km north of Baghdad, the military said in a statement.

Over 1,600 US soldiers have been killed in Iraq since the US-led invasion began in March 2003.

Meanwhile, the US military said three insurgents were killed by US forces after they attacked a US convoy in the northern city of Mosul, some 400 km north of Baghdad.

The soldiers in the patrol then opened fire on two approaching cars, killing five civilians, according to the military.

The US forces said the cars appeared to be hostile. The incident is under investigation.

Source: Xinhua