American forces continue bombardment against Falujja

The American and Iraqi forces continued their air bombardment and intensive land attack against Falluja city, in an attempt to eliminate what they call the armed resistance pockets remaining in the city, situated to the west of Baghdad in coincidence with the announcement made by the gunmen on their determination to fight to death.

The number of the American marines killed since the beginning of the attack against the city one week earlier increased to 39. The fighting concentrate in the southern areas of Falluja where the American forces are facing small groups of fighters fighting vigorously.

The interim Iraqi government strongly denied reports which said that families in Falluja suffer from lack of medical supplies. It said in a statement on Tuesday that most of the civilians fled from the city before the beginning of the American attack.

The statement which was issued by the office of the prime minister Eyad Allawi said that a team from the ministry of health visited the city and Falluja hospital which was controlled by the Iraqi and American forces directly before the beginning of the attack and found no shortage.

However, relief agencies warned against the occurrence of humanitarian crisis in Falluja which has been suffering shortage in water and electricity supplies since more than one week.