US marine and Iraqi soldier die in Fallujah fighting

An American Marine and an Iraqi soldier died in Fallujah today when they came under fire from rebel gunmen hiding in a house.

Lieutenant General John Sattler, commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, said the city is not yet completely in American and Iraqi government control.

“The town is not quite secure at this point,” Sattler said. He said the total US death toll so far in the Fallujah offensive stands at 51, with about 425 wounded in action.

Sattler said residents who fled before the US led offensive will not be allowed back until conditions are safer. He said the resettlement would be done in phases, starting with residences in the northern part of Fallujah.

Fallujah normally has a population of about 200,000. The vast majority fled before the fighting began.

“The town must be secure before we let the Fallujah people back in,” he said. He gave no specific estimate of when that would happen, saying only that it would take ”some time.”