By Xinhua
Baghdad : US troops backed by an aerial support Thursday raided Baghdad's eastern neighborhood of Sadr City and killed three insurgents besides injuring three civilians, the US military said.
The raid targeted suspected members of "secret cell terrorist network" known for transporting the sophisticated roadside bombs from Iran as well as bringing militants from Iraq to Iran for training, the military said in a statement.
According to intelligence reports, the cell has ties to a kidnapping network that conducts attacks within Iraq, it added.
According to the statement, three armed men were killed after troops called for close air support to end a gun battle with militants holed up in two buildings in the area, which is a stronghold for militiamen loyal to radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
Four suspected terrorists were detained.
The US military frequently accuses Iran of providing Iraqi Shia militia with weapons and parts for sophisticated armour-piercing bombs. Iran, however, denies the allegations.