Iraq Vote Count Continues; Two U.S. Soldiers Killed

3 February 2005 -- The U.S. military said today two U.S. Marines have died in the latest violence in Iraq.
A military statement said the soldiers died in the Al-Anbar province, a predominantly Sunni area that includes the restive cities of Al-Fallujah and Ramadi.

North of Baghdad, police say armed men today shot dead two Iraqi civilians who work on a U.S. military base. A police spokesman, Colonel Mudhafar al-Jbouri, said the men were killed while traveling in a car in the city of Baquba.

Late yesterday, militants killed 12 Iraqi soldiers in northern Iraq. Iraqi Major-General Anwar Ameen said five gunmen shot the soldiers in the head after stopping their bus on a road leading to Kirkuk.

In Baghdad, election commission spokesman Farid Ayar today said the counting of ballots from the 30 January national elections is progressing, but declined to say when official results will be released.

(Reuters/AFP/AP)