US troops arrest 17 in raid on Sadr City

Baghdad: US troops raided Baghdad's largest Shiite slum early on Thursday, arresting 17 people and injuring three, including two women, Iraqi police and witnesses said.

The US military had no immediate comment about the raid on Sadr City, which Iraqi police said took place around 2am.

Police and residents said American soldiers in humvees, backed by helicopters, sealed off a block of the neighbourhood and raided several houses.

US troops captured 17 residents, including three teenage boys, said an Iraqi police officer.