BAGHDAD – The Iraqi army shelled the western city of Falluja with mortar bombs overnight to try to wrest back control from militants and tribesmen, killing at least eight people, tribal leaders and officials said on Saturday.



Falluja has been held since Monday by militants linked to Al-Qaeda and by tribal fighters united in their opposition to Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, in a serious challenge to the authority of his Shi’ite-led government in Anbar province.



Medical sources in Falluja said another 30 people were wounded in shelling by the army.



In Ramadi, the other main city in Anbar, tribesmen and the army have worked together to counter Al-Qaeda militants seeking to take control.



Tension has been running high in Anbar – once the heart of Iraq’s insurgency after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion – since Iraqi police broke up a Sunni protest camp on Monday. At least 13 people were killed in those clashes. – Reuters