By Prensa Latina,
Baghdad : US air raids continue on Sader City to support land forces operating against the Mahdi Army of Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al Sader.
According to a preliminary report eight people died and 13 were wounded in the population of that densely populated town.
The US and Iraqi troops began to attack last night and continued Wednesday against what they identified as militia bases.
During the last 24 hours the government troops arrested seven alleged combatants of the Mahdi Army accused of launching mortar shells against the so-called Green Zone, where the US embassy and main state entities are located.
The more than a month of attacks have killed and wounded hundreds among the civil population.
Joint operations against Sader City were intensifiedá a few weeks ago when the government of prime minister Nuri al Maliki launched thousands ofásoldiers against Moqtada supporters in the oil city of Basora and other important settlements in southern Iraq.