The seized positions included Fallujah's only hospital and two bridges over the Euphrates River that link the western and eastern parts of the city that has become a hotbed for Sunni insurgents and foreign fighters, believed to be led by Abu Misaab Zarqawi, the suspected leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.
The positions fell in overnight fighting and bombings that continued until early Monday morning. Observers believe the U.S. and Iraqi moves signal the start of an all-out invasion to recapture Fallujah from insurgents.
But sources inside the city said U.S. troops and Iraqi National Guardsmen had not crossed the two bridges linking the two sides of the city, and that the real battle would begin once they do.
They said hundreds of gunmen and fighters were positioned on the eastern bank of the Euphrates, braced for a major battle that is expected to be decisive.
Emergency measures declared by the Iraqi interim government in most parts of Iraq, including Fallujah, were to go into effect Monday, including a 24-hour curfew on the city and a closed border with Syria until further notice.
In the meantime, the director of Fallujah's hospital has warned that the medical center has a shortage of basic medical supplies such as blood and serum.
Copyright 2004 by United Press International
