US warplanes struck insurgent positions overnight in the rebel-held Iraqi flashpoint town of Fallujah, the US military said early on Thursday.
In two air raids carried out just after midnight, US aircraft bombed rebel positions in the northeast and southeast of the town, located 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a military statement said.
"US Air Force aircraft... struck a preplanned target with precision weapons, striking known anti-Iraqi barricaded fighting positions" in both the northeast and southeast, the military said.
The raids were carried out by planes backing the 1st Marine Expeditionary Corps, which also destroyed several rebel fighting positions during the last 12 hours, the statement added.
Multi-National Forces West have also recovered and destroyed large numbers of rockets, artillery shells and mortars, as well as other explosives, the military said.
Thousands of residents have fled the Sunni Muslim bastion of Fallujah since the US military began a campaign of airstrikes during the summer in the hunt for Islamic militant Abu Moussab Al Zarqawi and his followers who are believed to use the city as an operating base.
Zarqawi, a Jordanian national who is Iraq's most wanted man, is blamed for some of the worst bombings and kidnappings in the country since last year's US-led invasion.
US ground troops have encircled Fallujah since mid-October, and Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi issued an ultimatum to the city on Sunday to surrender insurgents holed-up inside or face an all-out military assault.
US launches two airstrikes on Fallujah
TOOLBAR
To add a comment,
Please log in:
Don't have an account?
Register now to comment on stories and stay up to date on important events and issues in the Middle East with our newsletter.