Meanwhile, Iraqi officials say that a resistance group kidnapped the governor of the western Sunni province of Al-Anbar where US forces are carrying out what they call “Operation Matador”, one of the largest post-Saddam military operations in Iraq. The US admits that it is facing fierce resistance. Over the past several days, at least 14 US troops have been killed in fighting in the west of the country, many of them in guerilla-style ambushes or urban combat.