WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | No American troops killed in new attacks, violent protests in Iraq

No American troops killed in new attacks, violent protests in Iraq

(Baghdad, Iraq-AP) Dec. 16, 2003 - The US military says American troops killed 11 attackers Monday after a patrol was ambushed in Samarra, about 60 miles north of Baghdad.

According to a statement, guerrilla scouts released a flock of pigeons as the patrol approached, apparently as a signal to other fighters. The initial attack occurred when two gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on the vehicles, and then used school-children as human shields.

The statement says snipers fired back without hitting any civilians. Even though the attackers had a roadside bomb, automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades, no one in the patrol was injured.

Tuesday in Tikrit US officers say three soldiers were wounded by a roadside bomb. Two are said to have serious injuries.

In Ramadi some 750 people rallied in support of Saddam. A military statement says soldiers killed three demonstrators and wounded two more. The statement says troops were fired upon repeatedly and that one soldier was wounded.

In the volatile town of Fallujah crowds over-ran the mayor's office after Iraqi police withdrew from the streets. The crowds chanted, "We defend Saddam with our souls." A US military contingent pulled up to the municipal building in an apparent show of force. Dozens of troops, two tanks and a number of Bradley fighting vehicles were involved. Helicopters hovered overhead.

In Mosul soldiers fired warning shots to disperse hundreds of Iraqis who marched through the center of town, waving old banknotes with Saddam's image. Helicopters flew over the crowd and several armored vehicles were deployed nearby. Iraqi police say one officer was killed and another injured.

updated 10:10am by Chris Rees