BEIJING, Nov. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- In Iraq, violence between insurgents and US troops has been continuing in the rebel stronghold of Fallujah. Heavy clashes were also reported in Ramadi, where two Iraqi civilians were killed.

    Witnesses in Ramadi said the clashes were triggered by insurgents who fired rockets in the area. The US troops launched artillery in response. The clashes left a woman and an Iraqi freelance television cameraman dead, reported CCTV.com on Tuesday.

    Meanwhile, American troops are gearing up for a major offensive in Fallujah. The order to launch the assault is believed to have come from Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. On Sunday, he warned that his patience with negotiations was running thin.

    US and Iraqi officials hope to curb the insurgency in Sunni strongholds in time for national elections by the end of January.

    Also on Monday, Iraqi insurgents released a video of an attack on a US military vehicle near Ramadi. In a statement delivered with the tape, a group calling itself the Islamic movement for Iraqi Mujahadeens claimed responsibility for the assault.

    There was no word on the fate of the people in the vehicle, and the US military did not immediately confirm the attack.

    (cctv.com)