BAGHDAD, Iraq - Jubilant Shiites marched by the hundreds Monday, celebrating Saddam Hussein's conviction and death sentence as Sunnis held defiant counter-demonstrations.

Iraqis hold up images of Saddam Hussein as they protest his death sentence verdict, in his hometown of Tikrit,130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Baghdad, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2006. Iraq's High Tribunal on Sunday found Saddam Hussein guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced him to hang, as the visibly shaken former leader shouted 'God is great!' [AP]

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The surge in violence expected after the Sunday verdict on Saddam's trial for crimes against humanity still did not materialize. An Interior Ministry spokesman credited a round-the-clock curfew in Baghdad and two restive Sunni provinces.

But Iraq's relentless death toll continued: the bodies of 50 murder victims were discovered Sunday, the bulk of them in Baghdad, police 1st. Lt. Thaer Mahmoud said.

Baghdad, which has a mixed Shiite-Sunni population was relatively quiet Monday, with offices and the international airport closed and few cars or pedestrians on the streets.

Officials said the clampdown, which brought additional patrols and checkpoints in the capital, would likely be lifted by Tuesday morning.

"We need to keep on guard over any kind of response from Saddam supporters," Brig. Abdel-Karim Khalaf said.

The U.S. military announced the deaths of two Marines and one soldier in fighting in Iraq's Anbar Province, and said a helicopter crashed north of Baghdad, killing two American soldiers.

The deaths bring the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq this month to 18.

No gunfire was observed in the area at the time of the crash, the brief statement said. The incident occurred in Salahuddin province, which includes Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit and was under curfew.

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