US forces corner militants in Fallujah

US FORCES last night claimed to have cornered insurgents in a small section of Fallujah after a stunningly swift advance that seized control of 70% of the militant stronghold.

The Iraqi flag was flying over the city and a US general said the rebels had been blinded by the speed of the onslaught.

The speed of the US drive in Fallujah may indicate that most Sunni fighters and their leaders abandoned the city before the offensive and moved elsewhere to carry on the fight, officers said. The most notorious militant, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, is believed to have fled the city.