Six US soldiers, 29 gunmen killed in west Iraq

The American army announced on Friday the killing of 6 of its marines in two separate incidents in west Iraq. A military statement indicated the killing of four soldiers in a bomb explosion targeted their vehicle in Karmah near Falluja on Thursday while two others were killed in an explosion in al-Qaem on the Syrian border.

This development came hours after the announcement made by the American army that it killed 20 gunmen in a bombardment carried out by the warplanes at a hotel near al-Qaem on the Syrian borders, the statement said that pro-al-Qaida gunmen took over.

Two gunmen were killed in a bombardment carried out by American tanks in the adjoining al-Karabelah town, while seven gunmen were killed in an air bombardment targeting three buildings in the same area.

The American forces are launching vast military operations in the Euphrates river area in al-Anbar governorate saying that the goals is to "disable al-Qaida in Iraq" and prevent terrorists from influencing local citizens through killing and terror."