U.S. aircraft launched an airstrike on militia positions in downtown Diwaniyah City in south of Baghdad on Saturday, while Iraqi security forces continued clashes with militiamen for a second straight day.

"Iraqi Army and Coalition forces as part of Operation Black Eagle used a strategic air strike to defend against illegally armed militiamen using shoulder-fired rocket propelled grenades," the military said in a statement.

Fixed wing aircraft conducted the air strike after the Iraqi army "made positive identification of the militiamen" before calling for the air strike, it said.

In a separate statement, the military said during the first day, 27 suspected insurgents were detained in the combined operation headed by Iraqi Army troops supported by soldiers and paratroopers from Multi-National forces.

"Fighting was steady throughout the first day," the statement quoted U.S. military spokesman Maj. Eric Verzola as saying.

Verzola said three anti-Iraqi forces were killed and six others wounded during the operation, whereas two Iraqi soldiers and one coalition soldier were wounded.

During the operation, the troops found a facility where insurgents assemble explosively-formed projectiles (EFPs) and sophisticated armored-piercing bombs, besides seizing different kinds of other weapons, the statement said.

Previously, the U.S. military accused neighboring Iran of providing Iraqi Shiite militants with weapons and parts for EFPs.

Source: Xinhua