U.S. troops backed by aircraft pounded a neighborhood in western Baghdad on Thursday, killing 14 people and wounding nine others, an Interior Ministry source said.
"U.S. armored vehicles and warplanes struck the al-Washash neighborhood at about 3:00 a.m. (2300 GMT Wednesday), destroying several houses, killing 14 people and wounding nine others," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Women and children were among the casualties, the source said.
"The U.S. shelling started after militiamen opened fire on a U. S. patrol in the neighborhood at about 2:30 a.m. (2230 GMT Wednesday)," a resident who named himself Abu Taha, told Xinhua.
He said that after a short clash, U.S. armored vehicles and warplanes attacked the neighborhood, damaging several houses, he added.
The U.S. troops withdrew from the neighborhood after an hour, while an Iraqi army force was deployed in the neighborhood before dawn, according to the witness.
The U.S. military had no immediate comment on the incident.
The attacked neighborhood is a stronghold for Mahdi Army militia loyal to radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who declared on Aug. 19 that he ordered his militiamen to freeze their armed activities for six months.
Source: Xinhua
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