At least 12 US Marines were killed by Iraqi fighters, the US Army confirmed.
Between 60 and 70 Iraqi fighters armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons attacked the marines in a government palace in Ramadi, about 80 kilometers west of Baghdad, said a US defense official in Washington, according to The AFP.
"We had about 12 dead and a couple dozen wounded," added the official.
According to him, followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr were suspected of carrying out the attack.
More than 100 Iraqis, and 30 occupation troops have been killed and hundreds wounded in the past three days as armed men loyal to Sadr started to riot.
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
