Washington ? With the death Monday of another U.S. soldier in Iraq, the number of U.S. troops who have died there since May 1, when President Bush declared an end to major combat operations, rose to 138 — the same number who perished during the six weeks of fighting that marked the fall of Baghdad and its immediate aftermath, the Pentagon said.

The figures of 138 include not only those killed by enemy fire but also those who died as a result of vehicle accidents, drowning, medical problems or other factors unrelated to combat.

The 62 deaths from hostilities since May 1 compares with 115 that occurred during the war in March and April.