US Marine killed in clash with Iraqi insurgents

A US Marine was killed during fighting with insurgents in western Iraq, the military said today.

The death by small arms fire occurred yesterday in Ramadi, 70 miles west of Baghdad, the military said in a statement.

The name of the service member, who was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), was withheld pending notification of relatives.

The death raised to at least 1,997 the number of members of the US military who have died since the beginning of US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003.