BAGHDAD, Aug 10: US forces announced the loss of six soldiers as top Iraqi leaders met separately on Wednesday to thrash out differences on the country’s constitution as the August 15 deadline loomed.

The latest deaths took US military toll since March 2003 invasion to 1,834, according to an AFP tally based on the Pentagon figures.

In other incidents, insurgents killed at least 14 Iraqis across the country.

According to the US military, the six soldiers died and six others were wounded in three rebel attacks on Tuesday.

Four died and six were wounded when insurgents ambushed their patrol vehicles near the northern oil town of Baiji. The attackers set off a mine and opened fire with guns.

In another incident, a fifth soldier was killed by a suicide car bomber in the capital whereas a sixth died by small arms fire during combat operations near Habbaniyah in northwest Iraq.

The latest casualties came hours after US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld accused Iran of allowing sophisticated bombs, including more-lethal ‘shaped’ charges, to be smuggled across its border into Iraq.

Shaped charges are so called because of an indentation that channels an explosion’s force in one direction, launching a jet of hot metal able to penetrate the thickest armour.

“It is true that weapons clearly, unambiguously from Iran have been found in Iraq,” Rumsfeld said referring to a cache of the newly-manufactured bombs found two weeks ago in north-eastern Iraq which allegedly originated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

Iran rejected Rumsfeld’s claim.

Meanwhile, top Iraqi leaders met in groups to work out their differences over the constitution.

“The Sunnis, Shias and Kurds from the constitution-drafting panel met separately with their leaders and will come together tomorrow for a joint meeting,” said Mahmud Othman, a member of the panel.

Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari expressed hope that the constitution would be ready by August 15. “It’s true that we have only five days left but I hope we will solve the problems on time,” adding that ‘most parties agree on federalism’.

Issues holding up the constitution include the scope of federalism, with Kurds insisting on maximum autonomy for their northern region, while Shia and Sunni Arabs remain divided over whether other provinces should also get autonomy. The role of Islam is also a critical issue.—Agencies