Clearly, most civilians left before the assault. It's unclear how many stayed behind. And it's unclear how many of those were wounded. We may never know. But here are two reports from civilians inside the town. The first is from an A.P. reporter who fled:
``I decided to swim ... but I changed my mind after seeing U.S. helicopters firing on and killing people who tried to cross the river.''
He watched horrified as a family of five was shot dead as they tried to cross. Then, he ``helped bury a man by the river bank, with my own hands.''
``I kept walking along the river for two hours and I could still see some U.S. snipers ready to shoot anyone who might swim. I quit the idea of crossing the river and walked for about five hours through orchards.''
The second is from a local doctor, as recounted by the LAT:
Late Tuesday, a bomb struck one side of the makeshift medical center. Ghanim ran out.
A second bomb hit, crashing through the roof and destroying most of the facility. Ghanim believes it killed at least two of the young resident doctors working there and most of the patients.
"At that moment I wished to die," he said. "It was a catastrophe."
Afterward, he said, he half-ran, half-wandered through Fallouja, dodging explosions that seemed to be everywhere. He took shelter in an empty house and did not move.
"Time stopped. I don't know how long I was there," he said. "The tanks hit anything that moved.
"I saw the injured people on the street, covered in blood, staggering, screaming, shouting, 'Help me! Help me!' but we could not get out and help them because we would be killed."
