US air attack on Iraq Shia fighters

The US statement did not say whether US or Iraqi troops had been killed or wounded in the battle.

At least three of the dead were al-Mahdi army fighters, according to Razak al-Musawi, a local spokesman for the political movement of Shia leader, Muqtada al-Sadr.

“The Americans were looking for a well-known member of the Mahdi Army named Hamza Matrud. There were three people killed and seven wounded from the Mahdi Army,” al-Musawi said.

The US military did not give any names, but said its target was a 100-member al-Mahdi army unit responsible for bomb and mortar attacks on US-led troops, civilians, and the assassination of two government officials.

Cities in south-central Iraq have seen several running battles in recent months between rival Shia fighters, US and Iraqi forces.