New operation in al-Falouja: One American was killed, 6 injured

One American soldier was killed and other 6 wounded in a new operation for the Iraqi resistance in al-Falouja were the US forces have been exposed since three days to intensive series of attacks, at a time when tribes chieftains vowed to organize "the resistance" to fight the Turkish forces if they are deployed in the country.

The American army said that two Iraqis were also killed in the public hospital in al-Falouja where doctors said that one of them was a Syrian truck driver transporting cement from Beirut to Baghdad when he was besieged by clashes. Other five Iraqi civilians were also injured including a Syrian and two civilian trucks were destroyed after they were exposed to missile shelling, according to eye witnesses, and several cars were damaged including one with Syrian plates.

The attack took place, 20 meters from a bridge leading to al-Falouja as from Baghdad while 50 American soldiers where in a patrol. In the same area one American armored vehicle was blown up loaded with ammunition in an operation on Sunday.

The American army announced that 43 operations took place in various parts of Iraq on Sunday.

An American military spokeswoman said the occupation forces arrested on Monday four senior officials of the former ruling Baath Party in Iraq, in addition to a senior officer in the former Republican Guard selling weapons to resistance men and organizing their operations. This was in 4 operations in Tikrit, Balad, al-Taji and Karkouk during which 19 persons were arrested and a weapons store was found.