border Baghdad, Nov 7, SPA -- U.S. and Iraqi troops battledinsurgents house-to-house on Monday, the third day of amajor offensive against insurgents in a town nearthe Syrian border, and the U.S. command reported the firstAmerican death in the operation. The U.S. commander of the joint force, Col. Stephen W.Davis, told The Associated Press late Sunday that histroops had moved "about halfway" through Husaybah, amarket town along the Euphrates River about 320 kilometers(200 miles) northwest of Baghdad. At least 36 insurgents have been killed since the assaultbegan Saturday, and about 200 men have been detained, Davissaid. He did not give a breakdown of nationalities of thedetainees. A Marine was killed by small arms fire in Husaybah onSunday, the military said. The New York Times, which has ajournalist embedded with the U.S. forces, reported thatthree Marines were also wounded Sunday. The death raised to at least 2,046 the number of membersof the U.S. military who have died since the beginning ofthe Iraq war in March 2003, according to an AssociatedPress count.--MORE1409 Local Time 1109 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/301027