US Marine dies in Iraq attack

A US Marine has been killed in Iraq, becoming the first reported 'Coalition' combat death of the war, defence officials said today.

The dead soldier was part of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and was taking part in the ground assault in southern Iraq, Lieutenant Colonel Neal Peckham, a British military spokesman, said in Kuwait.

He said he had no further details. America’s MSNBC cable news network reported that the Marine was killed by Iraqi gunfire during the advance on the Rumeila oil field.

The incident came hours after eight British and four US soldiers died in a US Marine helicopter crash.

A British military spokesman said the crash was an accident.