Four US marines were killed by guerrillas in the Sunni Muslim heartlands west of Baghdad.
The US military said the Marines were killed yesterday while "conducting security and stability operations" in al-Anbar province, which includes the restive towns of Falluja and Ramadi.
No further details were given.
The attack follows the bloodiest guerrilla attack since coalition forces handed over limited power to an interim government on June 28th when a suicide car bomb killed six people and wounded 35.
All those killed and hurt in the blast in Khalis north of Baghdad yesterday are thought to be Iraqi.
