Clashes erupted between U.S. troops and insurgents Tuesday in the troubled city of Ramadi west of the capital, leaving at least two people dead, officials said. In Baghdad, gunmen assassinated the deputy chief of the Interior Ministry's immigration office, Gen. Ghazi Mohammed Issa, in a drive-by shooting in the western suburb of Ghazaliya, a top ministry official said on condition of anonymity. In an Internet statement, al-Qaida in Iraq purportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.The Interior Ministry official said gunmen also attacked a convoy of trucks carrying food for the Trade Ministry in Salman Pak, southeast of the capital. Three civilians were killed in the assault and at least one of the trucks was set on fire. Unidentified gunmen also shot dead the deputy head of Hay Alfurat Hospital in western Baghdad, officials said.
The clashes in Ramadi, 70 miles west of Baghdad, lasted for more than an hour. City shops were closed and streets were deserted as U.S. troops took up sniper positions on rooftops. At least one dead body could be seen in the street, witnesses said. Dr. Salah al-Ani of Ramadi's main hospital said at least two Iraqis were killed and two others wounded. U.S. troops launched a clampdown in Ramadi and several other Euphrates cities on Feb. 20, imposing curfews and raiding houses in a bid to root out insurgents operating in the area.