WASHINGTON, Feb 14: US army veterans on Saturday disputed a Pentagon report that says so far 21 US soldiers have committed suicide in Iraq or Kuwait. The veterans say the suicide rate is higher.

The Pentagon is expected to release a report next week on the mental health of US troops participating in the war in Iraq.

Army spokeswoman Martha Rudd said 21 suicides did not include an undisclosed number of soldiers who killed themselves after leaving Iraq or Kuwait and several "non-hostile" deaths there were still being investigated.

The new figure suggests the suicide rate has risen substantially since mid-January, when 18 army suicides had been confirmed. At that point, a Pentagon official put the army suicide rate at 13.5 per 100,000 - calling that "a very small increase" over a past average of 10 to 11 suicides per 100,000 soldiers.

Asked how the three additional confirmed suicides affect the rate, Ms Rudd said the army wouldn't comment before the mental health report was released. Some veterans groups said they were worried.