FALLUJAH, May 22: US troops in the flashpoint Iraqi city of Fallujah were ambushed on Wednesday night and shot two attackers dead, US soldiers said.

The attack was the latest in a series on US forces and took place in a city where tensions have been high on and off since at least 16 protesters were shot dead by US soldiers late last month.

Fallujah, 50 kilometres west of Baghdad, is a Sunni stronghold where at least a small number of residents remain loyal to Saddam Hussein.

“We got ambushed,” said Lieutenant David Simms, who said he was leading a patrol around the city when the attack took place.

Another soldier said one Bradley fighting vehicle had been shot at with rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and automatic weapons. No US troops were wounded.

He said that 10 minutes later, a pick-up truck slammed into another Bradley and that two men in the truck were shot dead. Simms earlier said there had been an exchange of fire and “a few” attackers were killed.—AFP