U.S. troops have clashed with suspected guerrillas near the volatile western town of Fallujah. Local residents says three Iraqis were killed and three wounded, but the U.S. military says it can only confirm one enemy killed.
The fighting erupted around two in the morning Tuesday when the U.S. military says troops of the 82nd Airborne Division came under attack in a village outside Fallujah.
A military spokesman says the attackers fled to a building which the American soldiers surrounded. As the gun battle continued, the U.S. troops called in air strikes.
Reporters who visited the scene saw what appeared to be bomb craters.
The Fallujah region has been the scene of frequent attacks on U.S. forces, and it remains a hotbed of support for the deposed President Saddam Hussein.
In another development, Iraq's governing council reportedly has decided to expel the staffs of Arabic television stations Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya. The stations have been criticized for broadcasting audio taped messages from Saddam Hussein.