By Xinhua
Baghdad : A joint U.S. and Iraqi force battled Shiite militia in the holy Shiite city of Karbala during predawn raid on Friday, leaving nine people killed and more than 20 others wounded, local police source said.
The U.S. and Iraqi troops backed by aircraft raided a house of a Mahdi Army militia leader, loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, in the al-Askari neighborhood in Karbala City, some 110 km south west of Baghdad, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The fighting broke out during the raid when the Mahdi militia men opened fire on the attacking troops, the source said. The roughly two-hour battle resulted in the killing of nine people, including some militiamen and the wounding of more than 20 others, the source said, citing a medical report from the al-Hussein public hospital in the city.
The fighting also caused damages in five houses, he added. The U.S. military frequently accused the Shiite Mahdi Army militia of receiving weapons and training from neighboring Shiite Iran with the aim of hindering prospects of stability in Iraq.