▁er upt ed . ▁M embers ▁of ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁ins ur gency ▁opened ▁fire ▁with ▁heavy ▁machine ▁guns , ▁rock ets , ▁and ▁ro cket - prop elled ▁gr en ades . ▁The ▁Sold iers ▁and ▁Mar ines ▁answered ▁by ▁bringing ▁in ▁t anks ▁and ▁hel ic op ters . ▁ ▁The ▁en su ing ▁fire f ight ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁cas ual ties . ▁Do z ens ▁of ▁Mar ines ▁were ▁killed ▁and ▁injured . ▁Two ▁hundred ▁and ▁sevent y - one ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁non - co al ition ▁forces ▁were ▁killed ▁and ▁ 7 9 3 ▁injured , ▁according ▁to ▁official ▁counts ▁for ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁ 5 ▁April ▁through ▁ 2 2 ▁April . ▁Conf lic ting ▁reports ▁leave ▁it ▁unclear ▁how ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁dead ▁and ▁injured ▁were ▁re bel ▁f igh ters ▁or ▁women ▁and ▁children . ▁There ▁were ▁also ▁reports ▁of ▁amb ul ances ▁and ▁aid ▁con vo ys ▁being ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁ins urg ents ▁to ▁sm ug gle ▁weapons ▁and ▁f igh ters ▁into ▁the ▁city . ▁Co al ition ▁officials ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁ins urg ents ▁used ▁mos ques ▁and ▁schools ▁as ▁command ▁posts ▁and ▁weapon - storage ▁facilities . ▁A ▁suic ide - b omb - vest ▁factory ▁was ▁discovered ▁by ▁Mar ines . ▁ ▁After ▁several ▁failed ▁attempts ▁at ▁ce ase f ires , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁back ed ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁A ▁Marine ▁commander ▁stated ▁" We ▁don ' t ▁want ▁to