"A marine assigned to First Marine Expeditionary Force was killed in action today (Friday) in the al-Anbar province while conducting security and stability operations," a statement said.

The second marine died of injuries sustained in action the previous day in the same province, home to the rebel Sunni Muslim bastion of Fallujah, 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad.

The marines have lost six men in the past four days on various operations around al-Anbar province, where US officials suspect alleged Al-Qaeda operative Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi and his supporters are operating from.

US-led military forces have carried out several air raids on possible dens of the Jordanian Islamist in Fallujah, including their first major strike overnight Wednesday since the transfer of sovereignty to an Iraqi government on Monday.

US forces said they killed up to 15 people in the precision attack, while a local hospital put the casualty toll at seven dead and 17 wounded.

In addition, the military confirmed that a soldier who died in an attack on a convoy in northern Iraq on Thursday was from the United States.

The deaths raised to at least 636 the number of US soldiers killed in action in Iraq since last year's US-led invasion.

WAR.WIRE