US soldier dies in Baghdad blast

US troops have to be on alert for roadside bombs

An explosion in a suburb of Baghdad has killed an American soldier and injured two others, the US military says.

A US spokesman said the blast happened late on Thursday in Abu Ghraib, in the western part of the city, hitting a military police patrol.

Abu Ghraib, site of a Saddam Hussein-era prison now being used by the US military, has seen previous attacks.

More than 250 US soldiers have been killed since last May when President Bush declared major combat over.

It was clear what sort of explosive device was used in the latest attack but US military patrols and convoys are regularly targeted by roadside bombs, placed by people resisting the US-led occupation.

The latest death follows that of two other American soldiers who were killed by an explosion on Wednesday night, also in Baghdad.