Pat Dollard | Young Americans

BAGHDAD (AP) - U.S. troops killed 11 members of a Mahdi Army splinter group early Thursday, American officials said.

Thursday’s fighting took place in the early morning hours in Kut, 100 miles southeast of Baghdad, a local police officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

It was not immediately clear if the U.S. raid on the splinter militia members would impact a six-month freeze on activities that the Mahdi Army leader—radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr—called in August and has signaled in the past week he might extend.

In the past, al-Sadr has said that any Mahdi Army members who do not abide by his freeze would no longer be considered members of the militia. But he also has indicated that his fighters have the right to defend themselves if attacked by U.S. forces.

Al-Sadr’s order to halt activities has been credited by American commanders as one reason why violence in Iraq has fallen dramatically in the past six months. However, it is unclear how much control al- Sadr maintains over his fighters as groups have splintered from the main movement.

The officer who spoke condition of anonymity said eight militia members were killed; the U.S. military said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that it killed an “estimated” 11 fighters. The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear.

In a later statement, the U.S. military said the operation was targeting a suspect who was “reportedly responsible for attacks against Coalition forces.”

Troops approaching the target were fired at with assault rifles and rocket propelled grenades, the military said. They then called in support aircraft. The local police official said at least two U.S. helicopters were used in the attack, along with an unknown number of fighter jets.

The military said no suspects were detained during the raid and that no U.S. troops were killed or wounded.

Despite the its freeze on activities, U.S. commanders have in the past said they would not stop targeting splinter elements of the Mahdi Army that they said continue to operate, despite al-Sadr’s order.

In early October, U.S. forces killed 25 Shiite militia fighters in Khalis, north of Baghdad, who were believed to be part of a Mahdi Army splinter group.