The number of U.S. military deaths in the Iraq war has reached 2,500, the Pentagon said on Thursday, more than three years into a conflict that finds U.S. and allied foreign forces locked in a struggle with a resilient insurgency.

Tourist walk hand-in-hand towards the White House, around a mock coffin representing a dead U.S. soldier left there by anti-war protesters in Washington, June 14, 2006. [Reuters]

In addition, the Pentagon said 18,490 U.S. troops have been wounded in the war, which began in March 2003 with a U.S.-led invasion to topple President Saddam Hussein.

Tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed.

"It's important to remember that there is a mission, and there is a greater good which sometimes necessitates tremendous sacrifice," said Army Brig. Gen. Carter Ham, deputy director for regional operations for the military's Joint Staff who formerly commanded U.S. forces in northern Iraq.

"Rather than focus on an aggregate number, I think it's more important for us to remember that there are individuals in that aggregate number ... to whom we should be very, very grateful, and to their families," Ham said.

On an average day in the war, about two U.S. troops are killed. In the average month, about 64 U.S. troops are killed.

Defense analysts noted that U.S. deaths in Iraq, while significant, are far fewer than in other protracted U.S. wars since World War Two. In the Vietnam War, 58,000 U.S. troops died. In the Korean War, 54,000 died.

Roadside bombs, known by the military as improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, are the biggest cause of U.S. casualties. Ham said despite good progress in detecting roadside bombs and the insurgents responsible for making and planting them, the overall numbers of these attacks have increased over the past several months.

Car bombs also remain a deadly threat, Ham said.

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