The sound of heavy gunfire andexplosions echoed across the Iraqi capital Baghdad for a secondnight tonight as US forces stepped up a crackdown against suspected guerrillas.
A military spokesman said US troops had launched ground andair strikes against "enemy targets" as part of Operation IronHammer, launched yesterday.
Yesterday, a Spectre gunship destroyed a Baghdad warehousewhich the US military said was being used to plan attacks onits forces.
Two Iraqis were killed in helicopter strike on a van whichUS forces said was used to launch mortars.
Iraqi guerrillas have launched ever bolder attacks in Baghdadin the last 10 days, including night-time mortar attacks on theheadquarters of the US-led administration.
Fighters opposed to the US-led occupation have killed 156US soldiers in Iraq since U.S. President George W. Bushdeclared major combat over on May 1.
