US warplanes pound Iraq's Falluja

1.00pm

FALLUJA, Iraq - US warplanes launched sustained and fierce attacks on the rebel-held Iraqi town of Falluja, witnesses said.

They said explosions could be heard in the attacks, a day after interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi warned the town would face an offensive unless it handed over Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his followers.

There was no immediate word on casualties.

US warplanes have been attacking suspected guerrilla positions in Falluja every night in a bid to root out militants.

But residents said Thursday's bombing, which follows the breakdown of peace talks between the interim administration and representatives of the city's 300,000 residents, was much fiercer than previous operations.

Witnesses said helicopters were also attacking parts of the town, which the interim government hopes to capture before elections scheduled for January.

Zarqawi's group has claimed responsibility for twin suicide bombings on Baghdad's fortified Green Zone -- home of the Iraqi administration -- that killed 10 people, including four Americans, hours before the latest attacks.

At least five people, including a 13-year-old boy, died in a series of earlier strikes on Falluja on Thursday.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq