Iraq war death toll nears 4,000

NEW YORK, March 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. death toll in the 5-year-old Iraq War is closing in on the 4,000 mark, a report said Friday.

The U.S. toll as of Thursday was 3,983, USA Today said.

Additionally, 482 troops died in Afghanistan.

One in six Americans who died in Iraq were too young to legally buy a beer, the report said. About two-dozen were 50 or older. Eleven died on Christmas and 11 others on Thanksgiving.

Ninety-eight percent of the victims were male, almost the same rate as in the Vietnam War. The most common age was 21. More than half were killed by bombs.