Attacks kill three soldiers, 21 Iraqis

BAGHDAD -- Bombs and drive-by shootings killed at least 21 people across Baghdad and its northern belts Thursday, and the U.S. military announced the deaths of three more soldiers killed in combat in the country's north.

Five corpses were found in the capital -- a low figure compared with the scores found daily several months ago. One body was found farther north and near the Iranian border, morgue officials said.

Thursday's tolls were in line with a trend borne out by Associated Press figures that show the number of Iraqi civilians who meet violent deaths fell sharply in October, as did the U.S. military death toll.

The number of Iraqi civilians killed dropped from at least 1,023 in September to at least 905 in October, according to an AP count, and the number of American military deaths fell from 65 to at least 39 over the same period.