BAGHDAD, Dec. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Seven US Marines were killed in two separate incidents in Iraq's Al-Anbar province, the US military said in a statement Monday.

A U.S. Marine conducts a patrol in the town of Falluja December 12. Seven US Marines were killed in two separate incidents in Iraq's Al-Anbar province, the US military said in a statement on Monday. £¨yahoo/Reuters/file£©

    The seven Marines of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force died in "security and stabilization operations" in Al-Anbar province, which hosts the flashpoint towns of Fallujah and Ramadi, said the statement.

    The statement gave no further details about the deaths, saying that releasing more information may put US soldiers at risk.

    It is not clear whether the casualties were connected with the latest fighting between US forces and local insurgents in Fallujah on Sunday.

    US warplanes fired missiles at suspected insurgent hideouts Sunday after US and Iraqi forces clashed with insurgents in this Sunni Muslim city that lies west of Baghdad. Enditem