KARMAH, Iraq — With a few fruit vendors and mechanics reopening their shops Sunday, parts of Karmah came to life one day after U.S. Marines and Iraqi Security Forces descended on it in a massive raid to search each and every home and business.

But the majority of the residents who ventured outdoors Sunday were the children, especially as Marines stopped to hand out stuffed toy animals and the ever-popular soccer balls.

The city of 70,000 residents, located about 20 minutes northeast of Fallujah, remained closed to all vehicle traffic, and Marine Maj. Mark Fuller, team leader of Team 2, Detachment 2, 5th Civil Affairs Group, had coordinated with the city’s two local health clinics for military escorts in cases of emergencies. They had several Sunday, which included a pregnant woman not feeling well, and another woman who suffered a stroke.

When Fuller wasn’t escorting patients, or walking the city streets to assess the sentiments of residents, he was setting up a soccer game among the local children, doling out free balls after they picked teams and setting up goals.

As his civil affairs group worked to mend the city, Marines from predominately India and Lima Companies of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment were busy knocking on doors and pulling out suspected insurgents and their weapons, capturing guns, ammunition, and rocket-propelled-grenade launchers among the finds. The nearly three-day raid on the city netted about 30 detainees and seven caches.

On Monday, Karmah’s schools were to reopen and residents were going to be able to file claims for property damaged in the raids, said Capt. Rick Belliss, a military lawyer.

An influx of 50 civil affairs specialists, including legal and medical representatives, will remain in the city through Saturday to deal with the aftermath of the raid. Belliss expects most of those will be complaints for damaged property and locks cut by Marines to enter businesses and house gates.

The initial phase of Operation Clear Decision, planned as a multiday mission, “is going extremely well,” said. Col. Mark Gurganus, head of Regimental Combat Team 8. “The city is quiet … and I think we’ll find the people will be happier. We want to see them take ownership of their city. We want to see them refuse to let the bad guy back in town.”

Karmah has no Iraqi police force of its own, but will get its initial crop of 75 police officers in mid-May, Fuller said. It is a city better off than most in Iraq, he said, with running water and electricity. Still, there are needs, and civil affairs has planned projects to refurbish seven schools, make roadway improvements, and start a garbage collection service, Fuller said.