Big Iraq ambush 'was bank heist'

Local doctors say at least eight civilians have died

An ambush on US troops in Iraq's city of Samarra was an attempt to seize new Iraqi banknotes, the US military say.

"It was a co-ordinated attack... on a convoy... delivering a significant amount of Iraqi currency," US Colonel Fredrick Rudesheim told reporters.

The number of Iraqis killed by US forces in Sunday's fighting had risen to 54 from 46, the US military says.

Residents of the central Iraqi city disputed those figures, saying at most eight or nine people died.

Earlier, eyewitnesses said eight of the dead were civilians - caught in the worst battle involving US troops since major combat operations were declared over on 1 May.

NOVEMBER DEATHS IN IRAQ US troops: 79 Non-US coalition forces: 26 Foreign civilians: 6 Iraqis killed by insurgents: At least 32* Iraqis killed by coalition troops: At least 64* *No official statistics are kept for Iraqi deaths

In more violence on Monday, an American soldier was killed after his patrol came under attack west of Baghdad, the US military said.

In a statement, it said the soldier was wounded by small arms fire near the town of Habbaniya, and later died of his wounds.

Clear warning

In the Samarra incident, US commanders initially reported 46 dead and 18 wounded but later raised the death toll without explaining whether the additional victims were insurgents or civilians.

US spokesman Lieutenant Colonel William MacDonald said that US forces had fought back with tank fire when they were attacked three times by militants wearing uniforms of the pro-Saddam Fedayeen fighters.

WEEKEND OF AMBUSHES Seven Spanish agents killed and one wounded near Hilla Two Japanese diplomats and their Iraqi driver killed near Tikrit Two US soldiers killed near the Syrian border One Colombian contractor killed and two wounded near Balad Two South Korean electricians killed near Tikrit Three ambushes foiled by US troops in Samarra Ambush in pictures

American forces destroyed three buildings being used by insurgents, he said.

"We're sending a clear message that anyone who attempts to attack our convoys will pay the price," the spokesman said.

Samarra is within the so-called "Sunni triangle" north of Baghdad - the heartland of Saddam Hussein loyalists.

Two logistical convoys were moving into Samarra when they came under attack from roadside bombs, small arms, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, Colonel MacDonald said.

The attacks - one on the east side of the city, the other on the west - were simultaneous and appeared to be co-ordinated.

In one of the ambushes, militants had barricaded off the road and opened fire from rooftop positions and out of alleyways.

Local anger

About an hour after the initial ambushes, four militants in a car attacked another US convoy in Samarra.

All four were wounded and captured in the clash and Kalashnikov rifles recovered from the black BMW.

None of the US soldiers was seriously hurt, the US spokesman said.

"This is the largest [ambush] for our task force since we've been in the area," Colonel MacDonald added.

The BBC's Peter Greste, reporting from the city, says burned out cars are scattered through the streets, and buildings are riddled with bullet holes.

He says there is an unmistakeable sense of anger among local people - who say the US response to the attacks was indiscriminate and unnecessary.

Bloody weekend

South Korea, Spain and Japan have all vowed not to surrender to "terrorism" after weekend attacks on their citizens in Iraq.

Seven Spanish intelligence agents were killed in an ambush on Saturday and two Japanese diplomats died in a separate attack.

The attack on the Spanish agents caused particular revulsion in Spain where images of Iraqis celebrating at the site of the killings were shown widely.

Two South Korean workers and a Colombian contractor were also killed in separate attacks and two US soldiers died in an attack near the Syrian border.