US troops press ahead with Ramadi operation

RAMADI, Iraq, June 19 (Reuters) Helicopters flew over the Iraqi town of Ramadi and warplanes could be heard overhead as US troops hunted down insurgents in the rebel stronghold today, a Reuters witness said.

He said seven tanks moved along Masarif Street and July 17 Street. Two explosions were heard but the cause was not clear.

Shops were shuttered and most residents stayed home, fearing a US offensive on the scale of the one that inflicted heavy destruction and loss of life in nearby Falluja in 2004.

The US military has played down talk of that type of campaign, saying the buildup was part of efforts to restore stability in Ramadi, 110 miles west of Baghdad.

Residents say US troops have not urged people to leave the town, the capital of Anbar province, heartland of the Sunni Arab insurgency seeking to topple the Shi'ite-led government.

US and Iraqi forces are setting up additional checkpoints and focusing on depriving rebels of positions used to launch attacks in the city, the military said.

New Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has said he would try to restore stability in Ramadi through dialogue with tribal and community leaders and that force of the type used in Falluja would only be a last resort.

But the people of Ramadi fear the worst.

''I can't open my shop. Everybody expects the Americans to invade the city. I already took most of the materials in my shop and hid them in my house because the Americans could shoot or burn my shop,'' said grocery shop owner Faisal Ghazi, 50.

Ramadi has emerged as the biggest hotspot in Iraq after a major US military offensive crushed al Qaeda militants and insurgents in Falluja, a former rebel bastion.

Several parts of Falluja were destroyed by artillery, tank and aerial bombardment.

Earlier in June, US military said al Qaeda had gained ground in Ramadi and that 1,500 extra US troops brought to Iraq would be used to try to break its grip on the town.

Some families began leaving Ramadi weeks ago in anticipation of an offensive. Others who stayed behind say they are suffering from electricity and water shortages.

''The water is totally cut off. We have to go to the river to get water. There has been no water for 24 hours and we have no gas to boil the river water to drink it,'' said Ali Hussein Mohammed, 45.

REUTERS SHB KN1506