Some 45 Iraqis killed in the American campaign in Tel Afer, Falluja

News reports said that fire exchange stopped in Tel Afer to the north west of Musil city where at least 45 Iraqis were killed and more than 80 injured as a result of armed clashes between the American forces and Iraqi gunmen.

The commander of the city police Ahmad Muhammad said that 13 policemen were killed or injured. Among the injured were the acting secretary of the city Muhammad Amin who was hit on his back during the bombardment and was admitted to Musil hospital and he is not in a critical health condition.

Confrontations were not limited to northern Iraq, rather extended to other area in the country. In Falluja to the west of Baghdad, hours after killing nine persons in American planes bombardment of the outskirts of the city on one house alleged it was sheltering the followers of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and as a result four persons were killed after their house was attacked by a missile attack in al-Sader city in Baghdad.

The Iraqi and the American forces entered for the first time since weeks al-Samera city to the north of Baghdad which is controlled by resistance men since two months. One American military statement said that these forces came to the city to appoint an interim municipality chairman and a police commander as well as to form a local council and assess the situation of the police in the city. No reports were released on clashes.