Iraqi security forces keep watch during a tribal conference, regarding the Islamic State, at the Ain al-Assad military base in the Anbar province
Iraqi security forces keep watch during a tribal conference, regarding the Islamic State, at the Ain al-Assad military base in the Anbar province Reuters

The Islamic State (Isis) has launched an attempted suicide attack against an Iraqi air base in Anbar province where hundreds of US marines are training Iraqi troops, according to reports.

Eight IS militants tried to penetrate the Ain al-Asad military base with the intention of blowing themselves up but were promptly killed by the coalition's counter strike, CBS News reported.

"Coalition force were several km from the attack and at no stage were they under direct threat from this action," said a statement from the US coalition.

Jihadists had assaulted the Ain al-Asad base and the nearby town of al-Baghdadi a day earlier. Al-Baghdadi had been under siege for months by the group, which seized large swathes of land straddling between Iraq and Syria last year.

In the facility, which is about 85 km (50 miles) northwest of Ramadi, 320 US marines are training members of the Iraq 7th Division, Reuters reports.

Iraqi forces managed to repel IS fighters from most of al-Baghdadi, with remaining clashes taking place around a police station.

Radio Free Iraq reported on Twitter that the US-led international coalition conducted airstrikes in Sijariya and Albu Ghanim, east of Ramadi city.