U.S. forces have staged two air raids on suspected rebel targets in the Iraqi city of Fallujah.
A U.S. military spokesman says the air raids Thursday struck known Iraqi insurgent positions in the northeast and southeast of the city, located about 50 kilometers west of Baghdad.
This follows what witnesses called an intense bombardment of several areas of Fallujah. The strikes came as American troops prepared for an expected assault on the city to rid it of insurgents before Iraq's January election.
Meanwhile, Iraqi officials say a car bomb exploded today in the town of Iskandariya, about 50 kilometers south of Baghdad. Initial reports say there were several casualties, but no details have emerged yet.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.