BAGHDAD, June 5: One US soldier was killed and five were wounded when an assailant fired a rocket-propelled grenade at them in the Iraqi town of Falluja on Thursday, the US military said.

A US military spokesman said two American soldiers had also been wounded in Baghdad when two attackers fired on them as they were guarding a bank. No details were available.

Falluja, 70km west of Baghdad, is a cauldron of hostility to US forces, who killed 15 townspeople in two clashes there in April, following the fall of Saddam Hussein.

The Arabic television channel al Jazeera quoted witnesses as saying the US soldiers were attacked as they searched for gunmen who had fired on a police station used by US forces.

A cameraman filmed troops were searching houses as residents were told to stay inside.

“Keep off the streets or you will be killed or wounded. The coalition forces do not want to hurt you. For your own safety, leave the area immediately,” said an Arabic message that blared repeatedly from a vehicle mounted with loudspeakers.—Reuters