Iraqi police arrested dozens of members of Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army militia today, hours after two policemen were killed in gunbattles in the southern city of Kut, police said.
Clashes this week between Iraqi security forces and the militia in Kut, 170km southeast of Baghdad, have raised fears that a ceasefire called by Sadr may unravel, although the violence has so far been confined to Kut.
It is the first major violation of the seven-month-old truce, which has been credited by the U.S. military with helping to reduce violence between majority Shia and Sunni Muslims that has killed tens of thousands of Iraqis.
But Sadr clarified the conditions of the truce last week, telling followers they could defend themselves if attacked, an apparent response to complaints among his fighters that US and Iraqi forces were exploiting the ceasefire to target them.
"This operation started in the early morning and so far we have arrested 25 wanted people from the Mehdi Army," said Lieutenant Aziz al-Amara, who commands a rapid reaction unit.
Another police official, who declined to be named, said 70 people had been detained. There was a heavy presence of Iraqi and US forces in the city. US military spokesmen have given few details about their involvement in the clashes.
Police say at least 13 people have been killed in fighting since Tuesday.
The latest outbreak of violence took place last night when police tried to enter two neighbourhoods in Kut where there is a strong Mehdi Army presence. Clashes erupted and residents reported the sound of gunfire and explosions.
Amara said two policemen were killed and eight wounded, six of whom were in a serious condition and had to be transferred to the local US military base for treatment.
A US military spokeswoman said US forces were aware of three policemen being wounded in fighting involving small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.