A U.S. vehicle carries the two U.S. soldiers killed in central Baghdad

Additional Reporting By Subhy Haddad, IOL Iraq Correspondent

BAGHDAD, July 28, (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – In what is seen as the bloodiest for U.S. troops in Iraq since May 1, three U.S. soldiers were killed Monday, July 28, in two separate attacks as the U.S.-handpicked Governing Council for Iraq tackled the formation of a committee to draft the country's new constitution.

A grenade was hurled at a U.S. military convoy from a bridge on a main road in central Baghdad near the oil ministry, killing two U.S. soldiers, Reuters news agency reported.

Reuters ground correspondent said the two U.S. soldiers were moveless, noting that they were very much likely killed in the attack since U.S. first-aiders were seen leaving the place.

Hassanein Abed, 18, a blackmarket seller of gasoline on the busy route, said he witnessed the blast and what appeared to be two soldiers dead and one wounded, whose hand was heavily bandaged.

However, a U.S. military officer said that the two soldiers were critically wounded.

"Someone threw a device from off of the bridge. It exploded and hit one of our trucks. We have two casualties. They are now at an aid facility," Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted Staff Sergeant Maximilian Sloat as saying.

The attack occurred at 11:45 am (0745 GMT) as a Humvee was passing underneath carrying supplies, Sloat said.

Meanwhile, a U.S. tank guarding a post by the general hospital in Baquba, 60 kilometers (40 miles) northeast of Baghdad, was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, witnesses said Monday.

The attack happened late Sunday, around 11 pm (1900 GMT with witnesses saying that one U.S. soldier was killed and two others wounded.

U.S. troops also stormed Baghdad villas Monday, scouring for wanted Iraqi officials, eyewitnesses told IslamOnline.net.

At least two villas at Al-Mansour and Al-Yarmouk districts in western Baghdad have been attacked in the early hours of Monday, they added.

They said that the U.S. soldiers arrested a number of  inhabitants.

U.S. troops killed late Sunday, July 27, five Iraqi civilians in a raid on a house in the wealthy Baghdad neighborhood of Mansour, where they believed ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was holing up.

A total of 52 U.S. soldiers have been killed in resistance operations since May 1, with more than half the deaths coming in July, according to an AFP account and Reuters accounts.

Constitution Committee

In another development, the U.S.-handpicked Iraqi Governing Council tackled Monday the formation of a preparatory committee to draft the country’s new constitution.

"We will today examine the names of the possible ministers, but no announcement will be made today on the choice of ministers," council member Iyad Allawi told reporters.

A coucil offiicial told IslamOnline.net that d the conuncil also discussed the establishment of another "leadership" committee to steer the fledgling 25-member council, assigned to draw up the general policy of Iraq in the days ahead.

The council opened its first sessionon July 13, comprising 13 representatives of  Shiites, 5 Sunnis, 5 (Sunni) Kurds, a Turkowoman and an Assyrian Christian.

The meeting has also discussed the appointment of members of the new Council of Ministers as well as a chairman for the council.

Meanwhile, a team representing the International Human Rights Watch Organization has begun activity in Baghdad Monday.

Chief of HRW's World Justice Section Richard Dicar told reporters that his team would tackle with their counterparts in Iraqi Justice and legal departments means of putting those involved in war crimes before international tribunals.