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Iraqi forces raid militia bastion Iraqi PM vows to tackle militias
(about 2 hours later)
US and Iraqi forces have raided the Sadr City area of Baghdad in search of a top militia commander accused of directing death squads. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has pledged to tackle illegal militias, which are widely blamed for the growing sectarian violence in the country.
"We will strike hard at anyone who defies the law," Mr Maliki said.
His comments come a day after the US ambassador said Iraqi leaders had agreed to a timetable for achieving key goals, including tackling the militias.
Overnight, Iraqi forces raided Baghdad's Sadr City, a militia bastion, hunting a suspected death squad leader.
Iraqi forces came under fire and called for backup from US aircraft, according to a US military statement.Iraqi forces came under fire and called for backup from US aircraft, according to a US military statement.
Reports say at least four people were killed and a dozen injured. Timetable
Sadr City is a stronghold of the Mehdi army, a militia linked to Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr, which is accused of being behind some of the sectarian violence. In a nationally televised news conference on Wednesday, Mr Maliki vowed to deal with the militias.
Wednesday's raid was launched to capture a "top illegal armed group commander directing widespread death squad activity throughout eastern Baghdad," the US military said. "The state is the only one that has the right to carry weapons," he said. "We will strike hard at anyone who defies the law or transgresses the authority of the state."
Baghdad diary: What options? Iraq's insurgent groups
The Iraqi prime minister has repeatedly pledged to tackle the militias but correspondents say he also has to balance the demands of his coalition government. This includes Shia parties that have powerful militias.
The timing of his latest announcement is significant, coming a day after key figures in the Bush administration put more pressure on the Iraqi government to take greater responsibility for the security situation.
The US ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad, said Iraqi leaders had agreed to a timetable of political and security measures, including action against the militias.
Mr Khalilzad said he expected "significant progress" within the next 12 months.
He singled out the Mehdi army, saying it must be "brought under control, it has to be decommissioned, demobilised and re-integrated like other militias".
The Mehdi army, a militia linked to Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr that holds sway in much of Sadr City, has repeatedly been accused of involvement in death squads carrying out attacks on Sunnis.
However, Mr Sadr has at times called for calm amid rising sectarian tensions and analysts say it is unclear how much control he has over the network of armed groups linked to the Mehdi army.
Anger
Wednesday's raid on Sadr City was launched to capture a "top illegal armed group commander directing widespread death squad activity throughout eastern Baghdad," the US military said.
"During the raid, Iraqi Army forces came under fire and had to defend themselves," the statement said."During the raid, Iraqi Army forces came under fire and had to defend themselves," the statement said.
Gun battle
They called for support from coalition aircraft which used "precision gunfire only to eliminate the enemy threat".They called for support from coalition aircraft which used "precision gunfire only to eliminate the enemy threat".
Witnessed quoted by the French news agency, AFP, said a gun battle lasted for more than two hours. Witnesses quoted by AFP news agency said a gun battle lasted for more than two hours.
One witness told Reuters that US and Iraqi troops had set up checkpoints around the area on Wednesday and were restricting people from leaving. A hospital worker says the scene was so chaotic that ambulances found it hard to reach the injured.
There was no indication of whether the sought militia leader was captured. The Mehdi Army, which is linked to Mr Sadr's political party, has repeatedly been accused of involvement in death squads carrying out attacks on Sunnis. Reports say at least four people were killed and a dozen injured.
However, Mr Sadr has at times called for calm amid rising sectarian tensions. Angry relatives and the injured blamed US forces and the Maliki government, Reuters reported.
Analysts say it is likely that he does not have full control of the loose network of militias and armed groups linked to the Mehdi Army. "Where is Maliki? Where is his freedom?" one man lying on a stretcher said.
There has been no indication of whether the suspected militia leader was captured.