BAGHDAD, July 27: One US marine was killed and another wounded in a grenade blast on Sunday morning in southern Iraq, a military spokesman said.

“At 2:35 am (2235 GMT Saturday), a marine was killed and one wounded during a grenade attack by a bridge” in southern Iraq, said Specialist Nicole Thompson.

No further details were available.

Meanwhile, US troops northwest of Baghdad were the target of an attempted rocket-propelled grenade attack on Sunday, a coalition officer said.

There were no US casualties in the abortive assault in Hawayja, 220 kilometres northwest of Baghdad, the officer said.

One attacker was injured and two others arrested, he said without giving further details.—AFP