Iraqis walk among buildings damaged by an air strike in Fallujah, Iraq Sunday, Nov. 7, 2004. The Iraqi government Sunday declared a state of emergency for 60 days throughout the country except for Kurdish-run areas of the north as U.S. and Iraqi forces prepare for an expected all-out assault on rebels in Fallujah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
U.S. forces stormed into western districts of Fallujah early Monday, seizing the main city hospital and securing two key bridges over the Euphrates river in what appeared to be the first stage of the long-expected assault on the insurgent stronghold. U.S. officials said the toughest fight was yet to come - when American forces enter the main part of the city on the east bank of the river, including the Jolan neighborhood where insurgent defenses are believed the strongest.