Six Iraqis killed in a new American raid against Falluja

The American forces continued land and air raids against Falluja city yesterday evening and at dawn, that resulted in killing 6 persons and wounding other 7.

One American military statement said that two air raids were fired at targets the American army said they are being used as shelters for the supporters of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

These air raids came few hours after an artillery and air bombardment launched by the American forces against the city which is situated 65 Km to the west of the capital Baghdad. Medical sources in Falluja hospital said that the night bombardment resulted in killing five Iraqis and wounding other 7.

Other sources said that the raid which took place yesterday at dawn killed at least one person, while the American marines and the Iraqi forces continued its operations on the ground.

These raids came following the threats made by the Interim Iraqi prime minister Eyad Allawi of launching a large scale attack against Falluja if the people of the city will not hand over al-Zarqawi.

It also came hours after the announcement made by Falluja negotiating delegation of halting the talks with the Iraqi government officials. The delegation said that the demands of the government to hand over al-Zarqawi is "impossible" because the American forces themselves could not arrest him and that al-Zarqawi is not among them.

The American forces consider that al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad group of al-Zarqawi takes Falluja as a headquarters. On Thursday the group claimed responsibility for the two attacks which targeted the green area in the downtown of Baghdad. The two explosions resulted in killing and injuring scores.

In Washington, the US Department Of State announced that the number of persons who were killed in the two attacks of Baghdad is five rather than ten including three Americans. The statement made it clear that in addition to the five killed persons, another American was considered as missing. He works in a private company.