"I am not afraid," he said from his bed here, while Kurdish soldiers stood guard.

But as Kurdish soldiers searched the field they found 53 dead soldiers, with at least 30 wounded.

So for the next several hours, the Americans struggled to block Kurdish soldiers from pouring into the city.

If that happens, he said, "no Kurdish soldier will remain in the division."

Kurdish soldiers check the identification cards of people driving in.

The militiamen ran into a checkpoint run by Kurdish soldiers and a battle broke out, the officials said.

Kurdish soldiers blocked access to the house, barred a photographer from taking pictures but confirmed the presence of Americans.

Kurdish soldiers searching his neighborhood this afternoon randomly fired shots, he said.

Her father, a 40-year-old laborer, said the Kurdish soldiers started shooting for no reason.

This time, she called American and Kurdish soldiers at a base less than a mile to the east.