U.S. Seals Off Iraq's Falluja
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Posted 11-05-2004 10:16:36 (GMT 11-5-2004 16:16:36) Printer Friendly Email This Link Send to Printer
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FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) -- The U.S. military has blocked roads around Falluja and mounted fresh air strikes on parts of the rebel-held Iraqi city ahead of a major offensive to crush insurgents.

Witness on Friday said insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades and mortars at U.S. troops who were shelling from around the eastern and southeastern edges of the city.

Hospital officials said they were waiting for clashes to ease before sending out ambulances. Overnight air strikes had killed three people and wounded four, they said. There was no immediate word from the U.S. military on the latest clashes.

It said earlier its warplanes had mounted five strikes on rebel targets in Falluja within seven hours overnight, hitting an arms cache, a rebel command post and other targets.

Residents said five houses were destroyed.

They said troops had sealed off all roads in and out of the Sunni Muslim city of 300,000 people as U.S. Marines prepared for a full assault designed to crush the rebels before nationwide elections in January.

U.S. Marines say they are awaiting orders from U.S. President George W. Bush and Iraq's interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who is visiting Europe, before storming Falluja and Ramadi, another Sunni city and rebel stronghold west of Baghdad.

Most of Falluja's population has already fled.
U.S. Seals Off Iraq's Falluja