- BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Four
U.S. marines who died in western Iraq on Saturday lost their lives in a
vehicle accident, not in combat, the U.S. military has said.
-
- A statement said the four members of the 1st Marine Expeditionary
Force had died in Anbar province, which includes the restive Sunni Muslim
towns of Falluja and Ramadi, while "conducting security and stability
operations".
-
- A marine spokesman later said the deaths were "as
a result of a vehicle accident and were considered non-hostile".
-
- More than 650 U.S. military personnel have been killed
in action since the start of last year's war in Iraq.
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- The marines said on Saturday they had fought a gunbattle
with at least seven black-clad militants who fired on them from a taxi
stand in Ramadi.
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- They said they had killed two of their attackers and
suffered no fatalities of their own.
-
- Residents in the Sunni Muslim town accused the marines
of firing for no reason. Two Iraqis were killed and six wounded, including
two children, hospital staff said.
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