Informant38

Reuters quotes the US military as saying: "There were no innocent civilians reported in the immediate area at the time of the strike. Multinational forces took multiple measures to minimise collateral damage and civilian casualties."

"Intelligence sources indicated that approximately 10 terrorists were meeting at this location to plan operations targeting innocent Iraqi civilians and multi-national forces," said the statement.

Earlier in the day Dr Dhiya al-Jumaili of Falluja General Hospital said at least eight people were killed and 15 wounded, including women and children.

Explosions lit up the night sky for hours and at least two buildings in the city centre were completely wrecked, witnesses said. The Falluja mosque switched on its loudspeakers and clerics recited prayers to rally the city's residents.

The US military said it had carried out a "precision strike" on a building where supporters loyal to "al-Qaida-linked" Abu Musab al-Zarqawi were believed to be meeting.

Reuters quotes the US military as saying: "There were no innocent civilians reported in the immediate area at the time of the strike. Multinational forces took multiple measures to minimise collateral damage and civilian casualties."
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"Intelligence sources indicated that approximately 10 terrorists were meeting at this location to plan operations targeting innocent Iraqi civilians and multi-national forces," said a US military statement on the strike carried out at 1800 GMT.

However, Falluja medical sources are disputing US claims and saying their hospital wards are being filled with dead and wounded women and children.

"The death toll has just risen to eight after a child died of wounds it sustained from the air strikes and another 17 wounded, including four children and two women," Dr Rafia al-Isawi, director of Falluja General Hospital, told Aljazeera.

Aljazeera 26.Sep.04