November 19, 2004 - A US Marine and an Iraqi soldier have been killed in Fallujah as 17 other people died in attacks elsewhere in Iraq and marine intelligence warned that the insurgency would grow despite massive offensives to crush the rebels.

The fighting comes as Iraqi and US force prepare to an assault on the northern city of Mosul and a US Marine intelligence report warns that any significant troop withdrawal from Fallujah would strengthen the insurgency.

The marine and soldier died during continuing mop-up operations in the former insurgent bastion, raising the coalition toll in the fighting to retake the city to 51 US dead and eight Iraqis, the top US Marine commander there said.

US-led troops continued to engage in sporadic battles against rebels in Fallujah after launching a major assault to wrest the Sunni Muslim city west of Baghdad from insurgents 10 days ago.

The military shelled the southern outskirts of the city even after a US Marine officer declared on Wednesday that "the battle is over".

Iraqi volunteers and US troops were able to clear 24 corpses from the battered city and evacuate five civilians.

The Iraqi Red Crescent said 150 families remained stranded.

The US Marine report, distributed to senior Marine and Army officers in Iraq, said that despite the heavy fighting the insurgents would continue to increase in number, carrying out attacks and fomenting unrest.

"The enemy will be able to effectively defeat (the Marines) ability to accomplish its primary objectives of developing an effective Iraqi security force and setting the conditions for successful Iraqi elections," it said.

Military officials in Iraq and Washington disputed the report's findings, saying they represented only the "worst-case assessment" and that there would be no pullout of US troops from the city.

The assault on Fallujah, part of a bid to reclaim key rebel enclaves across the country ahead of January elections, has been the largest military operation in Iraq since the March 2003 invasion.

Election threat

Despite attempts to bring the insurgency to heel before the polls, a statement posted on the website of Sunni Muslim militant group Ansar al-Sunna threatened to attack both candidates and voters in elections.

"We will target anyone who dares to stand in these elections because they will be considered apostates," said the statement, whose authenticity could not be independently verified.

Iraqi commandos backed by US troops were set to storm rebel strongholds in the main northern city of Mosul, where US-led forces are trying to clear insurgents who overran police stations last week.

Five Iraqi soldiers were wounded in a mortar attack in the west of the city, Lieutenant Ziad Framzi said.

The operations came as more deadly violence shook Iraq a day after at least 23 people were killed in unrest across the Sunni belt.

At least 17 Iraqis died in attacks around the country, including a suicide car bombing in Baghdad and roadside bombings north of the capital, police said.

Meanwhile, interim Iraq Prime Minister Iyad Allawi voiced his concern to the US military after footage of a US marine killing a wounded Iraqi in a Fallujah mosque was broadcast worldwide.

The incident shocked Arab television audiences and the pictures dealt a fresh blow to the image of the US-led forces in Iraq.

The Marines said the man involved had been withdrawn from the battlefield pending the results of an investigation.

- AFP