US military arrests suspected militants in Baghdad

Baghdad: The US military says it has arrested eight members of a militia group with alleged links to Iran.

The military says it captured the suspects on Sunday in two Baghdad neighbourhoods: the mostly Shiite district of New Baghdad and the primarily Sunni neighborhood of Azamiyah.

The military says the suspected militants belong to Asa'ib Ahl Al Haq, one of the so-called "Special Groups" of militants in Iraq that get support from Iran. Tehran denies it supports the militants.

The US has accused Asa'ib Ahl Al Haq of using explosively formed penetrator bombs. The powerful explosives are believed to have come from Iran and have been used by Shiite groups to attack American troops.