Seven marines killed in Iraq attacks as US death toll passes 1,800

THE US military said yesterday that seven marines had been killed by insurgents in western Iraq, pushing the death toll for Americans since the start of the war past 1,800.

Six marines, assigned to Regimental Combat Team-2 of the 2nd Marine Division, were killed in action in Haditha, 140 miles north-west of Baghdad. A seventh marine died when he was hit by a carbomb in Hit, 50 miles south-east of Haditha in the volatile Euphrates River valley.

Insurgents posted handbills in Haditha, claiming to have killed 10 US troops and seizing some of their weapons. At least 1,801 members of the US military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.