BAGHDAD, Feb 2 (Reuters) - U.S. troops said they killed 18 insurgents in fierce clashes in the volatile western Iraqi city of Ramadi that began on Thursday and continued on Friday morning and ended only when they called in air strikes. Ramadi, 110 km (68 miles) west of Baghdad, is the capital of Anbar province, heartland of the Sunni insurgency and the most dangerous place in Iraq for U.S. troops. The U.S. military said in a statement that U.S. forces were attacked in Ramadi on Thursday evening by small arms fire. When U.S. machinegun and tank fire failed to quell the attack, troops called in an air strike. At least 15 insurgents were killed. U.S. forces were again attacked on Friday by militants armed with rocket propelled grenades in several buildings. "Coalition forces returned fire using machinegun fire and one tank main gun round in an effort to stop the attack," the statement said. When the clashes continued, troops again called in an air strike, ending the attack. The military said three militants were killed. It said no U.S. troops were killed or wounded in either attack.
