Haqlaniyah, Iraq, Oct 4, SPA -- The U.S. military launched a majoroffensive early Tuesday in a cluster of cities in theEuphrates River valley aimed at insurgents whowere using the area as a safe haven and who had killed 20Marines there in August, The Associated Press reported. It was the second U.S. offensive begun against insurgents in the Anbar region of western Iraq in four days, both coming as the country braces for a national referendum on its new constitution on Oct. 15. Air strikes by U.S. warplanes and dozens of helicoptersset off explosions that lit the city skylines ofHaqlaniyah, Parwana and Haditha before dawn Tuesday.Barrages of gunfire also were seen in the night sky. Largesections of Haqlaniyah's power were knocked out. Early Tuesday U.S. airstrikes destroyed bridges in Hadithaand Haqlaniyah to prevent insurgents from fleeing into thenearby desert, said Lt. Col. Christopher Starling, theoperations officer in Regimental Combat Team 2, which isleading the offensive.--SP1248 Local Time 0948 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/294133