One of the U.S. soldiers wounded in an attack in Tikrit (AFP)

BAGHDAD, December 16 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – U.S. forces shot dead at least 16 Iraqis in three Iraqi towns in the past 24 hours, while three U.S. soldiers were wounded in Tikrit Tuesday, December 16.

In the Iraqi town of Samarra, 125km west of Baghdad, American troops killed 11 Iraqi fighters who tried to ambush them in a series of firefights, Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted the U.S. military as announcing Tuesday.

U.S. troops from Task Force Iron Horse "repelled a complex ambush" in the city without suffering any casualties, a statement said.

"In a simultaneous action attackers detonated an improvised explosive device to the south of the patrol. The patrol was then inundated by fire.

The statement added that the patrol was attacked by rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) coming from the west and mortar fire that emanated from the north.

It dismissed the fire as "ineffective" asserting there were neither U.S. casualties nor damage to any vehicle.

"The patrol radioed for support and A Company responded and moved toward the embattled patrol. Both U.S. elements fought through the ambush and eliminated the threat," said the statement.

"A company commander on the scene confirmed that 11 attackers had been killed. After confirmation, Samarran residents moved the attackers' bodies from the area," it added.

"There were no Coalition casualties during the firefight and, except for a civilian automobile that was damaged by a rocket-propelled grenade, there was no damage to any other property or equipment."

Samarra was the scene of clashes between U.S. soldiers and Iraqi fighters last month.

U.S. commanders initially claimed to have killed 54 fighters, but local residents and police reported that less than 10 people.

In a separate attack on Monday in the city of Ramadi, 100km west of Baghdad, the U.S. military said that Iraqis began firing on a U.S. unit, which returned fire, killing one of the attackers.

Additionally, U.S. killed two Iraqis after a pro-Saddam demonstrations by between 500 and 750 people on Monday.

The U.S.-led occupation authority announced Sunday, December 14, the capture of ousted president Saddam Hussein.

"U.S. forces were fired upon, wounding one U.S. soldier," an American spokeswoman said. "U.S. forces returned fire killing two and wounding two."

The latest trouble in Ramadi was mirrored in Fallujah, where two Iraqis were also gunned down, police and journalists at the scene said.

The pair were shot inside a car, said Iraqi police Lieutenant Hamid Ali Bardi.

U.S. Causalities

In Tikrit, the hometown of Saddam, U.S. officers said three soldiers were wounded on Tuesday by a roadside bomb, two seriously.

Reporters saw the soldiers, one with head wounds, evacuated by helicopter to a nearby hospital for the 4th Infantry Division after their Humvee vehicle hit an improvised explosive device.

"They will be okay, hopefully they'll be back soon," said a soldier, asking not to be identified.

At least 12 Iraqis were killed and 20 others injured Monday, when two car bombs ripped through two police stations in the Baghdad districts of Al-Hussiniyah and Al-Amiriya.