US death toll in Iraq hits 2,000

BBC NEWS | Middle East | US death toll in Iraq hits 2,000

Two thousand United States military personnel have died as a result of the conflict in Iraq, according to figures issued by Pentagon.

A sergeant wounded by a bomb in the insurgent stronghold of Samarra earlier this month died of his wounds and officially became the 2,000th death.

Unofficial estimates put Iraqi civilian deaths at at least 25,000 since the US-led invasion began in March 2003.

President Bush has called on troops to persevere in "spreading freedom".

Staff Sgt George T Alexander Jr, 34, died in hospital in Texas of wounds he received when a bomb hit his vehicle in Samarra on 17 October.

A spokesman for the American-led multinational force in Baghdad appealed to media not to make too much of the 2,000 figure.

"The 2,000 service members killed in Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom is not a milestone," Lt Col Steve Boylan told AP news agency.

"It is an artificial mark on the wall set by individuals or groups with specific agendas and ulterior motives."