FALLUJAH, Iraq - Clashes erupted Thursday between Iraqi forces and rebels in the former rebel citadel of Fallujah, while a friendly fire incident near the Syrian border between Iraqi police and army left five dead.
"There are clashes between the army and police and insurgents, but we don't have a toll yet," the defense ministry official said.
An AFP reporter said shots were heard from the city's northwestern Jolan district and Iraqi police sealed off the district around 1:30 pm (1030 GMT).
At the Jolan district's medical centre, hospital clerk Abbas Ahmed said four dead Iraqi soldiers were brought to the facility, but the defense ministry could not confirm the toll.
US forces assaulted the city in November, driving out insurgents who had turned it into their nerve centre for attacks across Iraq.
In a tragic friendly fire incident, Iraqi police and army opened fire on one another in Rabia, 130 kilometres (100 miles) northwest of Mosul, leaving three soldiers and two police dead, Major General Mohamed al-Jaburi told.
The incident happened at 11:00 am (0800 GMT) when the soldiers opened fire on police thinking they were rebels in the area rife with insurgent activity, Jaburi said.
03/24/2005 15:10 GMT