US plane bombs suspected weapons site in Iraq's Fallujah: military

FALLUJAH, Iraq, Oct 28 (AFP) - A US war plane bombed a suspected weapons site in the restive Iraqi city of Fallujah on Friday, a spokesman said.
"A US navy jet in support of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force dropped precision ordnance on a weapons cache site," said Major Francis Piccoli.
"We destroyed the site and there was a large secondary explosion," said the marine spokesman, adding that this indicated there had been munitions in the area.
The raid took place at 5:19 pm (1419 GMT).
According to witnesses on the ground, the bombs fell in the Al-Askari district, causing several victims and damage.
Since October 14, US troops have encircled Fallujah, west of Baghdad, where the military has repeatedly launched air strikes and some limited ground incursions.
Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi would send a team to rebel-held Fallujah to discuss clearing the city of insurgents and heavy weapons in a last-ditch bid to avert a full-scale military assault, officials said on Friday.

10/29/2004 15:38 GMT - AFP