4 US troops killed in Iraq on eve of withdrawal

"Four Multi-National Division-Baghdad soldiers died June 29 as the result of combat-related injuries," a military statement said, without giving any further details.

The latest deaths bring the US military death toll in Iraq since the March 2003 invasion to 4,321, according to official figures.

The new deaths have been reported as Iraqi forces prepared to take control of towns and cities nationwide on Tuesday in a major step toward a full US withdrawal from the oil-rich country planned to take place by Dec. 31, 2011.

Iraq has declared June 30 a national holiday, calling it "a day of national sovereignty" with large parties planned to mark the US pullout, which will hand over more security control to Iraqi forces.

The pullout is part of a landmark security agreement signed last year between Baghdad and Washington that is expected to end the missions of the some 133,000 US troops still in Iraq.

Under the deal, which needs to be put to a referendum in July 2009, US forces were required to leave Iraqi cities by the end of June 2009 and to ensure a complete withdrawal from Iraq by the end of 2011.