BAGHDAD, 2 October (IRIN) - Thousands of civilians have fled the Iraqi town of al-Qaim near the Syrian border following the start of a fresh US military offensive against insurgents in nearby villages, local government officials said on Sunday.

They told IRIN that about 600 families had abandoned al-Qaim, a small town in the Euphrates river valley, since the offensive began on Saturday. The number of people displaced by the fighting was expected to increase rapidly, they added.

Many of those fleeing by car and on foot from al-Qaim, 12 km from the Syrian border, said they were taken by surprise by the latest US-led offensive.

The attack followed an earlier US-led military operation against Islamic militants linked to the Al Qaeda movement in the same area last May.

"We were informed in advance before the last offensive against Al-Qaim and were able to prepare ourselves for it, but this one was a surprise to all of us," said Muhammad Rabia'a," a 43 year-old man who decided to clear out immediately with six members of his family.

"I just took my family and ran from the town to keep them safe, without even knowing where to go," he added.

A US military spokesman confirmed that this time no warning had been given.

"If we had provided advance warning in this case it would have given the terrorists an opportunity to run away or further use the citizens as human shields," said Lieutenant Colonel Steven Boylan, a spokesman for the US-led coalition of military forces in Iraq.

The Iraq Red Crescent Society (IRCS) said it was already taking action to help civilians displaced by the latest fighting in al-Qaim, which lies 320 km west of Baghdad.

"We have started to prepare a convoy with supplies from our stores and medical supplies recently received by our organization which will be sent to the area as soon as possible" said IRCS spokeswoman Ferdous al-Abadi.

Rami Massaibi, a senior doctor at the main hospital in al-Qaim, said the unit had admitted 15 injured and four dead people since the latest fighting began.

He expressed fears that the hospital would be overwhelmed by an escalating number of casualties.

"We are really worried about how large this military operation will become because our hospital cannot cope with so many patients due to a lack of essential emergency materials," Massaibi said.

He also noted that the hospital was still dealing with many children who had been suffering from malnutrition since the previous US-led offensive in the area five months ago.

The current military operation is code-named "Operation Iron Fist."

Reuters and the Associated Press (AP) quoted US military officials as saying the offensive was focused on the nearby village of Sadah and involved about 1,000 US troops backed by attack helicopters.

AP quoted US officials as saying that Sadah, a village of about 2,000 people, was being used as a way station for Al Qaeda militants being infiltrated into Iraq from abroad.

The Iraqi government said the military operation, which was launched two weeks before a 15 October referendum on the country's new constitution, would continue until the authorities had regained total control of the situation.

"We are just working to cleanse Iraq of terrorists who want to kill our families and children," said Abbas Didar, a senior official at the Ministry of Defence.

"This operation will prevent them from affecting an important step in our history; voting in the referendum," he added.

Boylan, the US military spokesman, said the main aim of Operation Iron Fist was; "securing the city (al-Qaim) and providing a secure environment prior to the upcoming constitutional referendum."

Last month, the United Nations said a similar US-led offensive against insurgents in the northern city of Talafar led to over 16,000 people being displaced from their homes.