US forces, backed by warplanes, battled insurgents in the Iraqi Sunni Muslim city of Falluja today for the first time in weeks, witnesses said.
Hospital officials said four Iraqis were killed, including civilians, and six wounded as US forces advanced to areas near the Martyrs neighbourhood southeast of the city.
US warplanes and tanks pounded the district and marines moved in, the witnesses said.
There was no word of any US casualties, although one witness said a US armoured vehicle was on fire after it was hit by insurgents.
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Falluja, which lies 50 km west of Baghdad, had a reputation for lawlessness even during Saddam Hussein's rule. It is considered a centre for anti-U.S. resistance.