Gunmen killed a Shiite tribal sheikh linked to British forces in a drive-by shooting today in the southern city of Basra, while two US Marines were reported killed in fighting in a volatile province west of Baghdad.

Four US Marines and one Navy sailor have been killed in fighting in Iraq’s volatile Anbar province, the military said today.

Roadside bombs and enemy fire killed eight US soldiers and one Marine in action in and around Baghdad, the military reported today, raising to 67 the number of US troops killed in Iraq this month.