WASHINGTON, July 21: The United States announced on Monday that it is deploying a Marine contingent in the embattled African state of Liberia.

A small force of 41 Marines has been sent to reinforce security at the American embassy in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, and was dispatched overnight, the announcement said.

The US move came as Liberian President Charles Taylor’s forces vowed to launch a battle for survival and said the next two days could determine victory in the war.

As the fighting continues, two mortar rounds hit the US embassy compound in the Liberian capital on Monday, according to the CNN.

Three people were believed injured, including two civilian contract employees and a journalist, said the CNN report from the Pentagon in Washington.

It was unclear who fired the mortar rounds.

The news report said 23 Americans had been evacuated from the compound, but as many as 200 US citizens were still in the war-torn country.

President George W. Bush has asked President Taylor to step down and save his country from further devastation.

The American force, from the Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team, departed from Rota, Spain, and was on its way to Monrovia.

Washington previously sent some 20 US military civil affairs specialists from Rota on a fact-finding mission to Liberia to assess humanitarian needs.