Thousands flee Iraq government assault on rebel-held Falluja

Masked Sunni gunmen walk with their weapons during a patrol outside the city of Falluja April 28, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Thousands of civilians have fled Falluja since last week after the Iraqi military intensified shelling in a new bid to crush a five-month old Sunni uprising, killing scores of people in what residents describe as massive indiscriminate bombardment.

The mortars, artillery and what residents call "barrel bombs" rained for at least seven days on Falluja - a city that was the nemesis of U.S. troops a decade ago and is now the main battle ground in a war pitting the Shi'ite-led government against rebellious Sunni tribal chiefs and an al Qaeda offshoot.