By NNN-Prensa Latina
Baghdad : The US death toll in Iraq has climbed to 3,409, after another five soldiers were reported dead in rebel attacks in the last 48 hours.
The US command also admitted nine soldiers were wounded in clashes in the capital and the central province of Diyala.
Three of the reported deaths occurred Friday in during an operation northeast of the capital, and the other two in confrontations in southern Baghdad.
Meanwhile, outgoing British Prime Minister Anthony Blair arrived today in the Iraqi capital as part of visits marking the last stage of his mandate.
Blair is expected to guarantee the continuity of London s support for Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki.
After his arrival at the fortified Green Zone, several mortar shells targeted the interior of the compound, where the US and British embassies are located.