WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Roadside bombs have gotten fewer but more powerful in Iraq, a U.S. military official said Friday.
That assessment came the day after the military announced seven Army soldiers were killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near their Bradley Fighting Vehicle in northwest Baghdad.
"We've noticed in the recent couple of weeks that the IEDs are all being built more powerfully, with more explosive effort in a smaller number of IEDs. And that trend has occurred over the last ... two weeks here," said Brig. Gen. David Rodriguez, joint staff deputy director of operations.
IEDs are responsible for about half the casualties in Iraq. The way they are built, triggered and hidden continues to evolve in Iraq, making their detection difficult.
Most of the IEDs are found or detonate in the Sunni Triangle in central Iraq. The U.S. military discovers about half before they detonate.
The Bradley has less armor plating on it than a specially built up-armored Humvee, according to military sources.
