Two Marines Killed in Combat Operations in Iraq

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2005 – Two Marines assigned to Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), were killed by small-arms fire near Rutbah, Iraq, Oct. 17.

Four enemy fighters died in the engagement, and coalition forces seized a cache of small arms.

Also on Oct. 17, Task Force Liberty soldiers on a combat patrol in Bayji detained the driver of a suspicious vehicle.

Soldiers encountered the vehicle around 6:50 p.m. near a coalition forces base. They asked the driver to open his trunk and unlock his cell phone keypad. The individual, who had a Syrian visa on his passport, refused.

An explosives ordnance disposal team blew open the trunk, which caused several secondary explosions. The ordnance team discovered the remnants of an anti-personnel mine in the trunk.

The detainee is being questioned at a coalition forces base, officials said.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)