BAGHDAD, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- An American soldier died on Saturday during combat patrol near Baghdad, the U.S. military said in a statement.

    The statement did not reveal how and where exactly the incident took place, but said the soldier is assigned to Multi National Division-Baghdad (MND-B), which is also known as Task Force Baghdad.

    The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, the statement said, adding that the incident is under investigation.

    The latest death raised the toll of the U.S. soldiers who have been killed in Iraq to 4,246 since the U.S.-led invasion in Iraq in March 2003, according to media count based on Pentagon figures.