US marine, rebels killed in battle on Syria - Iraq border

The ABC reports that "at least one US marine and 17 alleged Al Qaeda fighters were killed as US and Iraqi forces moved house-to-house in their fight to take control of a town near the border with Syria ... The operation is aimed at preventing foreign fighters from entering the country."

Although, if you were unremittingly cynical, you might think that it is all a cover for U.S. missions into Syria to destabilise the country.