4 U.S. Marines, 1 Sailor Killed in Iraq

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, center, speaks to the media at a press conference Wednesday Oct. 25, 2006 in the fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq. U.S. and Iraqi forces on Wednesday raided Sadr City, the stronghold of the Shiite militia led by radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, but Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki disavowed the operation, saying he had not been consulted and insisting "that it will not be repeated." The defiant al-Maliki also slammed the top U.S. military and diplomatic representatives in Iraq for their Tuesday news conference, at which they said Iraq needed to set a timetable to curb violence ravaging the country. (AP Photo/Wathiq Khuzaie, Pool) (Wathiq Khuzaie - AP)

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The U.S. military on Thursday announced the deaths of five U.S. troops in fighting in Iraq, raising to 96 the number of American forces killed this month.

The four Marines and one Navy sailor all died in fighting in Anbar province, a hotbed of the Sunni insurgency against U.S. troops and their Iraqi government allies.

The 96 deaths is the highest monthly total since October 2005, when the same number of American forces were killed.

Before that the deadliest months were January 2005, at 107; November 2004 at 137 and April 2004, at 135.

The sailor was assigned to the 3rd Naval Construction Regiment, the military said. Two of the Marines were attached to Regimental Combat Team 5, and two others to Regimental Combat Team 7. All died Wednesday from wounds suffered in attacks that day, it said.

The names of the dead were being withheld pending notification of their families.

Meanwhile, an angry Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki disavowed a joint U.S.-Iraqi raid in the capital's Sadr City slum Wednesday, and criticized the top U.S. military and diplomatic representatives in Iraq for saying his government needs to set a timetable to curb violence in the country.

The U.S. military on Thursday announced the deaths of five U.S. troops in fighting in Iraq, raising to 96 the number of American forces killed this month.

The four Marines and one Navy sailor all died in fighting in Anbar province, a hotbed of the Sunni insurgency against U.S. troops and their Iraqi government allies.

The latest deaths raised to 96 the number of U.S. forces killed in October, the highest toll for any month this year and on course to surpass the October 2005 total of 96.

Before that the deadliest months were January 2005, at 107; November 2004 at 137 and April 2004, at 135.

The sailor was assigned to the 3rd Naval Construction Regiment, the military said. Two of the Marines were attached to Regimental Combat Team 5, and two others to Regimental Combat Team 7. All died Wednesday from wounds suffered in attacks that day, it said.