The US military said a bomb-making class inside a mosque triggered the deadly explosion that enraged the Iraqi town of Falluja, where residents vowed on Wednesday to wage holy war against US occupiers.

US Army soldiers patrol the restive town of Fallujah, June 2, 2003.[Reuters]

President Bush said the US military forces that overthrew Saddam Hussein had all the power needed to deal with attacks by Iraqis opposed to their presence in the country, which have escalated in recent weeks.

The US military, which has about 146,000 soldiers in Iraq, said it carried out five more raids in an operation to stamp out the violence, detaining three people and confiscating assault rifles and grenades.

US Central Command said a blast at a mosque in Falluja, west of Baghdad, Monday night was caused by people being taught how to make bombs.

It said a joint investigation conducted with Falluja police determined coalition forces were in no way responsible for the blast. Residents had blamed it on a US air strike, an accusation military officials flatly denied.

Iraqis in the town said nine people were killed, including the mosque's imam, or prayer leader.

Two American soldiers died Wednesday, one from injuries sustained during an attack Tuesday, the other in an accident.

Military officials said one US marine was killed and three were injured during mine-clearing operations in Kerbala, south of Baghdad. An Iraqi technician was also hurt.

At least 23 American servicemen have been killed by hostile fire since Bush declared major combat operations over on May 1. US officials have blamed the spate of attacks on members of Iraq's former army and intelligence services loyal to Saddam.

But Bush said in Washington that US forces were tough enough to deal with the attacks.

"There are some who feel that conditions are such that they can attack us there," he told reporters at the White House. "My answer is bring them on. We have the force necessary to deal with the situation."

Locals crowd around the al-Hassan mosque in Fallujah, Iraq, Wednesday July 2, 2003. Iraqis insisted the blast was caused by a US missile - an account the military denied. [AP]

In Falluja, US soldiers took to the streets hoping to convince residents they were not behind the mosque blast, but were met by vows to drive them out of town. "We will fight a holy war until the last drop of blood. Even boys who are 10 years old will fight until their last drop of blood," said a man standing at the damaged al-Hassan mosque.

POLISH PREPARATIONS

In return for its backing for the US-led war on Iraq, the United States has asked Poland to run a stretch of Iraqi territory between Britain's southern zone and the US-controlled north from Sept. 1.

Poland sent an advance party of 250 troops to the Gulf on Wednesday to pave the way for the 9,200-strong multinational force under its command.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw made a lightning visit to Iraq as the bodies of six British soldiers killed a week ago in clashes over arms searches were flown home.

Straw said Iraqis would soon start to assume responsibility for their country, but that the process leading to an Iraqi government would take time.

A senior United Nations official in Baghdad said U.N. envoys had persuaded the US-led administration to give more political powers to a new Iraqi council it plans to appoint this month.

The panel of 25 to 30 Iraqis, originally intended to be an advisory body, would have some executive powers including a say in issuing the budget, he said.

But Ghassan Salameh, adviser to the special U.N. representative to Iraq, said Iraq may have to wait a year for elections to replace the US and British occupying powers.

He said officials would start work in August on a census and other preparations for an election.

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