THE GUYS are fed up. Really fed up:

The leader of the largest tribe in Fallujah has declared that the city's "no-go" status for Iraqi and American troops must be brought to an end, by force if necessary.

Hikmet al-Dulami claims to have reached an accord with the leaders of three other influential tribes to force the expulsion of foreign terrorist groups from the city.

Fallujah is one of more than a dozen Iraqi cities where insurgents hold sway, and America is keen to wrest back control in time for the elections in January.

On Friday, more than 2,000 Iraqi troops backed up by 3,000 soldiers from the United States 1st Infantry Division took part in a surprise offensive on Samarra, north-west of Baghdad. More than 125 guerrillas were killed and 88 captured as the troops seized the town hall, the main mosque and other important sites. American military and Iraqi authorities said yesterday that they controlled about 70 per cent of the city.

Fallujah, a hotbed of Sunni insurgency, is believed to be the headquarters of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian-born terrorist behind many of the suicide bombings in Iraq who is holding the British hostage Kenneth Bigley.

Residents are increasingly angry that their city is being targeted almost nightly by US air strikes on suspected Zarqawi hideouts. At least seven people were killed and 13 wounded after the city in the latest raid on Friday night.

"The officials in Fallujah not associated with the insurgents want it over and done with," said Gen Richard Myers, America's senior commander in Iraq. "We know that they're talking with their Iraqi counterparts, they're talking to the US military. They want their city back and they want to get on with business."

Kasim Doud, Iraq's national security adviser, told The Telegraph that similar talks with leading figures preceded the strike on Samarra. He said: "They said frankly, 'Please come and help us'."

Mr al-Dulami said: "We have told the protectors of the terrorists, including the leader of the resistance, that we will expel them ourselves if the situation is not made normal. We have the weapons and the followers to take the city back for Iraq and that is what we will do."