A US soldier was killed on duty in southern Iraq on Wednesday, two days after five service personel lost their lives in the deadliest attack on American troops in the country in more than two years.

The six deaths this week come just months ahead of a year-end deadline for a US pullout, with Washington pressing Baghdad to decide soon whether or not it wants an American military presence beyond then.

"A US service member was killed Wednesday while conducting operations in southern Iraq," the US military said in a statement that gave no other details.

Earlier on Wednesday, an Iraqi police source in the southern city of Najaf had reported an improvised bomb attack against a US military patrol.

Monday's losses were the largest in a single attack in Iraq since May 11, 2009, when an American soldier was arrested and charged for having opened fire on five of his comrades on a base just outside Baghdad.

The latest death raises the number of American soldiers killed since the 2003 invasion to 4,460 according to an AFP count based on the independent website, www.icasualties.org.

The US military still has about 45,000 troops in Iraq. Since formally ending combat operations on August 31, American soldiers have primarily focused on training and assistance of Iraqi forces.

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