US targets insurgents in Fallujah

US forces pounded parts of Fallujah from the air and ground yesterday, targeting insurgents in a city where American forces were said to be gearing up for a major offensive.

Nearby, three British soldiers were killed in an attack by guerrillas as they patrolled in central Iraq.

Al-Jazeera television broadcast a threat by an unspecified armed group to strike oil installations and government buildings if Americans launch an all-out assault on Fallujah. The report was accompanied by a videotape showing about 20 armed men brandishing weapons.