A TV image shows two children injured in the deadly US raid

FALLUJAH, Iraq, September 26 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - At least eight civilians were killed and up to 20 others wounded in a fresh US onslaught into the Iraqi city of Fallujah Saturday night, September 25.

The latest airstrike occurred at about 10:00 pm (1800 GMT) and killed eight civilians, medics told Al-Jazeera satellite channel.

Two hospitals in the city confirmed receiving eight dead and 22 wounded including women and children with residents saying that many remained under the rubble.

Reuters Television pictures showed rescuers pulling survivors out of the ruins of a destroyed house. Two women and one child were among those rescued from the rubble.

Residential Area

Medics say the US raid only targeted civilians (AFP)

The US military claimed that the raid targeted what it called a meeting place in the northern part of Fallujah for operatives of presumed Al-Qaeda chief in Iraq Abu Mussab Al-Zarqawi.

“Intelligence sources indicated that approximately 10 terrorists were meeting at this location to plan operations targeting innocent Iraqi civilians and multi-national forces,” said the statement.

But an Iraqi journalist however told Al-Jazeera that the US raid targeted a residential area in the Golan area of Fallujah.

Abu Bakr Al-Dulaimi said US forces always claim the targeted sites host followers of Al-Zarqawi, but they are innocent residents.  

At least two homes in the area were destroyed while others suffered significant damage, an AFP correspondent in the city said.

Fallujah resistance fighters and residents have vigorously denied the presence of Zarqawi in their town, adding they were simply defending their homeland against occupation forces.

An earlier airstrike overnight Saturday killed seven Iraqis and wounded 11, including women and children.

At least 56 Iraqis, including women and children, were killed when US occupation forces launched an overnight aerial onslaught on Fallujah, according to Iraqi hospital sources Friday, September 17.

In April, at least 700 Iraqis, mostly women and children, were killed and 1,500 others injured when the US occupation forces imposed a tight siege on the town and intensified air strikes on its densely-populated areas.

On September 18, Amnesty International blasted the US for its barbaric raids on Fallujah.