Seven US marines killed in Iraq clashes

Seven US Marines were killed in two separate incidents in Iraq’s restive Anbar province, a vast region comprising the battleground cities of Fallujah and Ramadi, the military said today.

It was unknown whether the deaths were connected to heavy fighting that occurred yesterday in Fallujah. American warplanes pounded the city with missiles as insurgents fought running battles with coalition forces.

In a statement, the military said the seven died while conducting “security and stabilisation operations in Anbar province. The statement gave no other details about the deaths, saying the release of more information could place US personnel at risk.

The military had earlier reported another US Marine death yesterday in Anbar.

The names of the dead were withheld pending notification of their families.

Fallujah was the scene of a weeklong US-led offensive last month to uproot insurgents based in the city,

The latest violence began when American and Iraqi forces clashing with guerrillas in several suburbs and ending with US airstrikes on suspected insurgent hideouts.

“The strikes were conducted throughout the day and were called in by troops in (armed) contact with and observing the enemy moving from house to house,” spokesman Lt Lyle Gilbert said.

Fallujah resident Abdullah Ahmed said the fighting started after US soldiers brought 700-800 men into the city to clear rubble from damage caused by November’s offensive.

“The clashes started as soon as the young men entered the city,” Ahmed said. “The American troops were surprised and decided to launch military operations.”