14 US mariners killed in Iraq

The Number of American mariners killed in Iraq increased during the past 48 hours to 14 after the killing of three American soldiers on Friday in a traffic accident south of Baghdad and the death of another because of wounds he had in Ramadi city two days before.

On Friday, the American army said that 10 mariners were killed on Thursday while they were in an on-foot patrol outside Falluja city in an explosion carried out by gunmen.

Despite this attack, the American army said that the marines continue in carrying out operations to control the armed activities in various parts of Falluja and the surrounding areas in order to ensure a safe environment for the legislative elections which will be held on December 15th.

The White House on Friday expressed sadness over the killing of a group of mariners. The spokesman for the White House told journalists "we are sad over the loss of human spirits whether the number of killing is 10 or 11" noting that the US President George W. Bush was notified about this on Thursday evening.

This operation is one of the fiercest which attacked the American forces since August 3rd when 14 mariners were killed near Haditha ( 260 km to the north west of Baghdad.) The Pentagon said that so far, and after the attack, number of the American forces in Iraq since its invasion in March 2003 tolled 2125.

The American forces on Friday launched a new military operation, backed by the Iraqi forces, against the gunmen in Ramadi, west of Baghdad.

The US army said that the new operation, which is the fifth in Anbar governorate aims at creating the appropriate conditions for the legislative elections, and create a permanent military presence in the region. The new military campaign in Ramadi coincided with the beginning of another American military operation in Heit city along the east bank of the Euphrates river in Anbar governorate.