"A Marine assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force was killed in action May 18 in the Al Anbar Province while conducting security and stability operations," the military said in a statement, which gave no further details.

The restive province includes the Sunni Muslim stronghold of Fallujah where dozens of marines were killed in fighting last month.

The latest casualty takes the US military death toll in Iraq to 786 since the start of the US-led invasion in March last year. This figure includes 574 troops killed in action.

WAR.WIRE