Four Iraqi men were killed and three American troops were lightly injured in separate attacks against US forces near the town of Fallujah, the US military told AFP.
The Iraqis died in a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) assault on a US convoy. "Four Iraqis were killed and nobody from the American side was injured" in the 8:33 am (0433 GMT) attack, Sergeant Keith O'Donnell said Friday.
US forces arrested nine people following the incident, seven of whom O'Donnell said were carrying grenades while two were found with suspect documents bearing photographs of ousted president Saddam Hussein.
He added eight attackers ambushed the Americans as they patrolled Fallujah's outskirts on reconnaissance.
Witnesses at the scene, in the village of Albu Alwan seven kilometres west of Fallujah, earlier said two Iraqis had been killed.
In a separate incident, three American troops were lightly wounded when their vehicle was struck by a mine blast near the Habaniya base.
"Three Americans were slightly injured by a mine at 9:45 (0545 GMT) this morning near al-Habaniya," O'Donnell conveyed.
Meanwhile, a part of a key oil pipeline in northern Iraq was damaged following a big overnight blast, a senior official in the nearby refinery town of Baiji told AFP.
"It was a crude oil pipeline going from Kirkuk to Baiji," Majid Mamuni, general director in charge of pipelines at the refinery, said Friday. "I think it was sabotage," he added.
Police and witnesses at the scene said a large explosion rocked Baiji Thursday night, while a fire along a section of pipeline was still raging Friday near the refinery town.
"It is an attack, a sabotage," said a high-ranking Baiji police officer.
US military helicopters were seen hovering over the fire four kilometres from the refinery, while six US military vehicles stopped nearby. Baiji is about 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of Baghdad. (Albawaba.com)
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