The U.S. military command says five soldiers were wounded on Friday when two bombs exploded close to a military convoy near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.
In Mosul, residents say Iraqi government forces raided a mosque looking for insurgents, while U.S. troops cordoned off the area.
The U.S. command has denied reports that a leading Sunni cleric (Sheikh Abdel-Sattar Abdel-Jabbar) was arrested during the raid.
Meanwhile, U.S. warplanes kept up the pressure on insurgents in the city of Fallujah with overnight airstrikes on suspected arms warehouses.
Today, ground clashes between U.S. Marines and rebel fighters were reported near the city. Medics say at least seven people were killed, but U.S. military spokesmen said they cannot confirm the reports.