Around 70 suspected militants were reported killed in a series of US air strikes in and around the Iraqi city of Ramadi yesterday.
The US military said 20 men were killed when a US warplane bombed a group of suspect militants believed to be attempting to place a roadside bomb east of the city.
About 50 other suspected insurgents were killed in a series of other clashes around the city that involved US helicopter gunships, F-18 fighters and ground troops.
The US military said there were no reports of any US or civilian casualties in the operation, but a local doctor said that more than two dozen local residents had died.
Separately, the US military said five US soldiers had been killed by a roadside bomb in Ramadi on Saturday as Iraqis went to the polls to vote in a referendum on the draft constitution.
Turnout in the referendum was said to have been high at over 60%, with early counts suggesting the constitution would be approved.
The US President, George W Bush, told reporters in Washington that it was a positive day for the Iraqi people as well as for world peace.
