BAGHDAD, 12 July 2004 — The Philippines yesterday rejected the latest ultimatum from a group holding a Filipino driver hostage as three American soldiers were killed in attacks in Iraq.

A roadside bomb targeting a US patrol near the city of Samarra killed two US soldiers and wounded three others, the military said in a statement. The soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division were wounded when an improvised explosive device blew up near their convoy about 4.30 p.m., the statement said.

The injured soldiers were evacuated to a military medical facility. Two will be returned to duty, while the condition of the third is being evaluated, the military said.

Earlier, another US convoy was attacked in Beiji, about 140 km south of the northern city of Mosul. The attack began when a roadside bomb exploded next to the patrol, the military said in a statement. “An enemy vehicle then raced toward the convoy, firing at the soldiers, who shot back and killed the driver,” the military said. A soldier and a civilian traveling behind the patrol were killed. A second soldier was injured and evacuated.

The names of the soldiers killed were being withheld pending notification of the next of kin.

The deaths came a day after four US Marines were killed in a vehicle accident while conducting security operations near Camp Fallujah in western Iraq.

More than 875 service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq. Most were killed in the insurgency that has targeted troops, government workers, civilians and foreigners over the past 14 months.

The Filipino hostage was in grave peril yesterday after Manila rejected his captors’ demands for an early withdrawal of its US-allied troops. Militants holding Angelo dela Cruz vowed to kill him unless Manila pledged by 11 p.m. on Sunday to pull its 51-member humanitarian force out of Iraq by July 20.

Manila held firm. “In line with our commitment to the free people of Iraq, we reiterate our plan to return our humanitarian contingent as scheduled on Aug. 20, 2004,” Philippine Foreign Secretary Delia Albert told a news conference in Manila.

Dela Cruz had appeared close to release on Saturday night before his captors issued a fresh death threat.

“Yesterday was a false hope, he was not released, but we are hoping he will soon be free,” said a Philippine Embassy source in Baghdad. He said he had heard nothing since the kidnappers had extended their deadline to kill the 46-year-old driver.

Dela Cruz’s wife and brother were heading to Baghdad, Albert said, and the government remained hopeful.

In Sofia, the Bulgarian government said two Bulgarian truck drivers taken hostage were alive after a Friday deadline for their execution expired. “Now I can confirm the information that our compatriots are alive,” Foreign Minister Solomon Passy told a press briefing.

— Additional input from agencies