MOSUL, Nov 16: US and Iraqi forces launched an offensive in Mosul on Tuesday to retake control of guerilla-held areas after a week of anarchy that has seen the fighters attacking across Iraq's third largest city.

"Offensive operations have begun on the western side of the river to clear out final pockets of guerillas," said Captain Angela Bowman, a spokeswoman for US forces in the north.

"It's a significant operation to secure police stations in the area and make sure they can be put to use again."

While US forces have focused large numbers on an offensive in the city of Fallujah for the past eight days, militants have struck in Mosul and elsewhere in areas north of Baghdad. The US military says it has taken control of Fallujah, west of the capital, but scattered resistance remains.

On Tuesday morning a Marine was killed in a suicide car bomb attack in the south of Fallujah. At least 39 US troops have been killed since the start of the Fallujah offensive eight days ago.

Near Balad, north of Baghdad, a guerilla attack on a convoy killed one US soldier and wounded another, the military said.

US and Iraqi forces met little resistance in the early stages of the Mosul operation but said a 4pm to 6am curfew would remain in place and that the five bridges over the Tigris in the city were closed, Captain Bowman said.

Last week scores of guerillas seized control of parts of the city, attacking police stations, looting them of weapons and flak jackets and setting them ablaze. Nine of 33 police stations were overrun, and some were briefly held by the fighters.-Reuters