BAGHDAD, July 29 (Xinhuanet) -- Two US marines were killed in clashes with insurgents in western Iraq, the US military said in a statement on Friday.

    The two, assigned to Regimental Combat Team-2 of the 2nd Marine Division, were killed on Thursday by insurgents who used small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire in a village west of Haditha city, some 250 km west of Baghdad.

    The names of the victims were being withheld pending notification of next of kin, the statement said.

    In another statement, the US military said clashes erupted between US-Iraqi forces and insurgents, who attacked patrols in the same village.

    US warplanes responded with an air strike, which destroyed buildings used by insurgents as safe houses and firing positions, the statement said.

    "Iraqi security forces and coalition forces killed nine terrorists, five of whom were reportedly Syrian nationals," it said. Enditem