At least 40 people were killed in Fallujah and Tall Afar as US-led forces launched renewed offensives on the Iraqi towns which they say are havens for militants.
Aircraft pounded Fallujah overnight in a series of raids, killing 12 Iraqis, including five children and two women. Nine others were injured.
Another 28 people were killed and scores were injured in a US-led assault on the northern town of Tall Afar.
Separately, the US military has confirmed that three Iraqis were killed and two US military policemen were wounded in a roadside bombing outside Baghdad yesterday.
The roadside bomb exploded near a military convoy passing close to the notorious Abu Ghraib prison which was the scene of the prisoner abuse scandal.
Meanwhile, Italy's junior foreign minister Margherita Boniver is travelling in the Middle East to seek help to free charity workers Simona Pari and Simona Torretta. They were kidnapped from their Baghdad office at gunpoint on Tuesday.
A coordinator for charitable activities has said most of the 50
aid groups with foreign staff in Iraq are planning to leave after
the two 29-year-olds were abducted in broad daylight in a quiet
residential neighbourhood.
