US troops clash with gunmen as four Iraqis killed by car bombs

TWO car bombs exploded in the insurgent stronghold of Ramadi yesterday, killing four Iraqis and prompting clashes between US troops and gunmen.

Also in Mosul, three decapitated bodies - two Iraqis and an unidentified corpse - have been found in and around the city, a coroner said, the latest in a grisly campaign of beheadings by militants who have been snatching foreigners and Iraqis accused of helping the United States.

US warplanes pounded the vast Baghdad slum of Sadr City overnight after an American patrol came under fire, the military said. Hospital officials said at least one Iraqi was killed.