BAGHDAD, August 18 (PL).— The U.S. occupation forces command in Iraq today reported the death of another of its solders, bringing the total killed to 2,604 since Washington initiated its war on this Arab country.

The communiqué from the military command specified that the U.S. soldier was killed as the result of a bomb that went off in the southern area of the capital, where he was part of an operation to secure the area.

The vehicle in which the soldier – whose identity was not disclosed – was traveling blew to pieces after the bomb went off at 7 a.m. local time.

To date this month, the U.S. forces have lost 26 soldiers and the United Kingdom one, which is an average of 1.5 fatal casualties every day for the occupation forces.

Statistics and information from the U.S. Defense Department and the Central Command indicated 19,511 cases of U.S. soldiers injured during the 41 months of aggression against Iraq.

The majority of casualties for countries who have occupation troops in Iraq stem from actions by the resistance, showing the generalized collapse of the security parameters in this Persian Gulf nation.

In an effort to demonstrate that they have the situation under control, more than 60,000 U.S. soldiers and Iraqi forces were deployed Friday in Baghdad as part of Operation Together Forward.

Meanwhile, from Washington D.C., Prensa Latina reports that U.S. peace activist Cindy Sheehan, whose son Casey died in Iraq in 2004, has announced that protests are to take place in that capital next week against the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq.