US forces renewed attacks today in the towns of Falluja and Tal Afar, killing at least 30 Iraqis, including children, and injuring scores more.
US warplanes bombed rebel-held Falluja for a third successive night. A US military statement said the air assault was part of a "precision strike" on an operating base for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian militant Washington says is allied to al-Qaeda.
"The target was a building frequently used by terrorists at the time of the strike. Three Zarqawi associates were reported to be in the area, no other individuals were present at the time of the strike," the statement said.
But doctors in Falluja said at least eight people were killed. Doctor Rafi Hayad said four of them were children and two women. He said at least 16 people had been wounded, eight of them children.
The United States blames Zarqawi for masterminding a series of suicide bomb attacks and the killing of several hostages. It has offered a $25 million reward for his capture.
A statement posted on an Islamic website and claiming to come from Zarqawi's group said four of his militants had been killed in the US bombardment of Falluja earlier this week.
In Tal Afar, a town west of Mosul which the US military says is a staging post for foreign militants crossing from Syria, doctors said 22 people were killed and 70 wounded in heavy fighting after US forces launched an offensive.
US forces said in a statement the assault was in response to provocation after they and Iraqi security forces "were repeatedly attacked by a large terrorist element that has displaced local Iraqi Security forces throughout recent weeks".
"These attacks by terrorist groups included rocket-propelled grenades, small arms fire, mortars and roadside bombs, and resulted in civilian casualties. Many Iraqi families have been forced from their homes under threat by these terrorists."
On Saturday, US forces and insurgents battled in Tal Afar for several hours in clashes that killed at least 13 people.
The past few days have seen a surge in attacks and clashes in Iraq that pushed the official Pentagon US death toll for the war to above 1,000.