2007 deadliest in Iraq for US troops

More US troops died in Iraq in 2007 than in any other year of the conflict that has been the deadliest for the United States since the Vietnam War.

According to the website icasualties.org that purports to closely track casualties in Iraq, 852 US soldiers lost their lives this year, the highest toll since 849 died in 2004.

The website said it monitors the deaths through media reports and Pentagon press releases and put the death toll for US soldiers in Iraq at 3,855 since the March 2003 invasion.

That figure is six higher than the Pentagon's, which is slower to compile public casualty reports.

US President George W Bush in January ordered a surge of the US presence in Iraq by more than 20,000 to more aggressively go after al-Qaeda militants and insurgents while trying to tackle sectarian violence.

US commanders have said the surge has helped make sharp reduction in violence, noting the drop of Iraqi civilian deaths in the last several months and that only 38 US soldiers died in October, the lowest monthly rate since March 2006.