US troops kill 54 in Iraq battle

The battle on Sunday came after a weekend of violence that claimed the lives of seven Spanish intelligence agents, two South Korean contractors, two Japanese diplomats and their Iraqi driver, a Colombian contractor and two US soldiers.

The bloodshed — and grisly photographs showing Iraqis kicking the corpses of the dead Spanish agents — fuelled debate in countries allied to Washington on the risks of getting involved in the mission to stabilise and rebuild Iraq.

The US military said guerrillas with mortars, assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades staged simultaneous attacks on Sunday on American convoys in Samarra which lies between Baghdad and Saddam’s hometown Tikrit. US troops fought back.

‘‘The 4th Infantry Division repelled multiple ambush attacks,’’ Lieutenant Colonel William MacDonald said, adding that US troops wounded 18 Iraqis and captured eight. Five US soldiers and a civilian with them were also wounded.

‘‘In all of the clashes coalition firepower overwhelmed the attackers resulting in significant enemy losses,’’ MacDonald said. ‘‘If you attempt to attack one of our convoys we’re going to use our firepower to stop that attack.’’

The violence underscored the growing audacity of guerrillas in Iraq — and the tougher tactics the US Army has adopted in response. November was the deadliest month for American troops since the start of the war to oust Saddam, with at least 74 killed in action. Occupying forces also suffered their deadliest single attack during the month, a car bombing in Nassiriya that killed 19 Italians and nine Iraqis. A stunned Japan mourned and debated whether to go ahead with plans to send troops, after the two diplomats were shot dead on Saturday when they stopped at a roadside food stall on their way to a conference on reconstruction in Saddam’s hometown.

PM Junichiro Koizumi insisted Japan’s commitment to Iraq would not waver. ‘‘There is no change in our stance,’’ he said. In Spain, the coffins of the slain intelligence agents arrived home on Sunday, a day after the men were killed when guerrillas attacked their convoy south of Baghdad. The deaths rekindled deep-seated doubts about the role of Spanish troops in Iraq, but PM Jose Maria Aznar said the country would not abandon its mission in Iraq. (Reuters)