WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - One U.S. Marine has been killed and several others have been wounded in a major operation to take control of a valley in southern Afghanistan from the Taliban, the U.S. military said on Thursday.

A statement from the U.S. Marine Expeditionary Brigade in Helmand province said U.S. and Afghan troops were continuing the operation started on Thursday to "secure the local population from the threat of Taliban and other insurgent intimidation and violence."

"One Marine has been killed in action, and several others have been injured or wounded throughout the day," the statement said. "The MEB has not received any confirmed reports of civilian casualties or damage to property." (Reporting by Andrew Gray, editing by Jackie Frank)

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