The death toll from a three-day wave of violence in Iraq passed 180 after three hours of heavy fighting in Fallujah, west of Baghdad, police and a doctor said on Friday.
The clashes, which broke out at around 9:00 pm on Thursday, saw gunmen take control of three checkpoints on the outskirts of the overwhelmingly Sunni Arab city after they were abandoned by federal police, police Lieutenant Colonel Yasir Hamid al-Jumaili said.
The fighting, which an AFP journalist said involved heavy gun and mortar fire, killed three federal police and wounded at least six, Jumaili and a doctor said.
The clashes, which broke out at around 9:00 pm on Thursday, saw gunmen take control of three checkpoints on the outskirts of the overwhelmingly Sunni Arab city after they were abandoned by federal police, police Lieutenant Colonel Yasir Hamid al-Jumaili said.
The fighting, which an AFP journalist said involved heavy gun and mortar fire, killed three federal police and wounded at least six, Jumaili and a doctor said.