US soldier killed near Baghdad

US troops have been conducting raids in northern Iraq

At least one US soldier has been killed and two others wounded in a roadside attack north-east of Baghdad, military officials said.

A spokesman said a military convoy from the 4th Infantry Division was ambushed near the town of Jalawla, 120 kilometres (75 miles) from the capital - bringing to three the number of US soldiers killed in Iraq in a 24-hour period.

"The convoy was travelling south-east of Jalawla and came under attack at 1115 (0815 GMT) from an improvised explosive device and small arms fire," a spokesman said.

Earlier on Monday, Iraqi officials revealed that the oil minister, Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum, survived an assassination attempt in Baghdad on Sunday.

Officials said Mr al-Uloum, a member of the US-appointed Governing Council, was travelling in a five-car convoy when three gunmen opened fire from a passing car.

Also in the car with Mr al-Uloum was Nabil al-Musawi, an aide to Council member Ahmed Chalabi.

No-one was injured in the incident, which came hours after at least eight people were killed in a car bomb attack on a hotel used by members of the Governing Council.

A spokesman in Baghdad for the US-led Coalition Authority, Charles Heatley, said several people had been detained in connection with the hotel attack.

US deaths

There have been two other attacks on US-led forces in the last 24 hours with two American soldiers dying in separate incidents in the north of the country.

In one case, a soldier was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade in the town of Tikrit.

And on Sunday, one soldier was killed and another injured when their vehicle hit a landmine near the town of Baiji.

US-led forces are now facing an average of 20 attacks a day.

The latest deaths bring to 97 the number of American soldiers killed in action in Iraq since President Bush declared major combat over on 1 May.