US forces in Iraq killed three people today in a raid early this morning in a village near the flashpoint town of Falluja, west of Baghdad, locals said.
They said four Iraqis had been injured in the operation, and that US troops had searched the village for ammunition and for guerrillas loyal to Saddam Hussein.
The US military in Baghdad said it had no immediate information on the raid.
Falluja lies in the volatile "Sunni triangle" region, a focal point of anti-US attacks and support for Saddam.