US military claims to have killed 54 guerrillas in a fierce battle in the Iraqi town of Samarra are being questioned after locals disputed the size of the death toll.
US military spokesman Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt told a Baghdad news conference that 54 "enemy combatants" were killed in firefights that raged for most of Sunday afternoon in Samarra, 100 kilometres north of Baghdad.
He said an estimated 22 enemy were wounded and one captured.
Hoever, many locals disputed the US claims.
"Why do they arrest people when they're in their homes?" asked Athir Abdul Salam, a 19-year-old student. "They come at night to arrest people. So what do they expect those people to do?"
"Civilians shot back at the Americans," said 30-year-old Ali Hassan, who was wounded by shrapnel in the battle. They claim we are terrorists. What do they expect when they drive among us?"
Many residents said the Americans opened fire at random when they came under attack, and targeted civilian installations. Six destroyed vehicles sat in front of the hospital, where witnesses said US tanks shelled people dropping off the injured. A kindergarten was damaged, apparently by tank shells. No children were hurt.
US Captain Andy Deponai, whose tank was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade during the firefight, said he was surprised by the scale of the attack on the convoys, which were carrying bundles of new Iraqi currency, and that 30 to 40 assailants lay in wait - armed with rocket-propelled grenades - near each of the two banks where the money was being delivered.
"Up to now you've seen a progression - initially it was hit-and-run, single RPG shots on patrols. Then they started doing volley fire, multiple RPG ambushes, and then from there, this is the first well-coordinated one," he said.
"It's hard to tell on the basis of one attack exactly what tactics may or may not be changing," Gen. Peter Pace, vice chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Brussels, news conference with US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
"The fact is that in this particular case, about 50 or so of the enemy did collect together for whatever reason they thought was appropriate," Pace said. "They attacked and they were killed. So I think it'll be instructive to them for future analysis when they're thinking about what they're going to do next."
West of Baghdad, gunmen ambushed an American military convoy, killing one soldier, the US military said. The attack with small arms fire was near Habbaniyah, 50 miles west of Baghdad