The U.S. military in Iraq says coalition forces killed four suspected terrorists and captured 51 others Saturday in two separate operations.
In a pre-dawn raid in Qasirin, the military says coalition forces killed four militants and detained 18 others. The militants are believed to have been involved in explosive attacks against the coalition.
In another operation, the military says 33 suspects were detained during operations in Kirkuk and the Tigris River Valley.
Also, the U.S. military said Saturday an American Marine was killed Thursday during combat operations in western Anbar province.
Separately, a British artillery strike in Basra set an oil pipeline ablaze, spewing clouds of black smoke into the air. British soldiers were targeting militants when the unused oil facility caught fire. No casualties were reported.
In other news, the Iraqi government said Prime Minister Maliki will visit Turkey Tuesday and Iran Wednesday. A spokesman for Mr. Maliki said the prime minister's meetings in both countries will focus on security issues.
Discussions in Ankara will address Turkish concerns about Kurdish rebels operating out of northern Iraq.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
