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AC-130 strafes militants in Iraq

BAGHDAD — An Air Force gunship strafed Shiite extremists who attacked U.S. soldiers in Baghdad on Monday, and the military said it killed at least nine militants in recent clashes in the capital.

Iraqi health officials on Monday said 41 people, including women and children, have been wounded since Sunday in the militia stronghold of Sadr City, where U.S. and Iraqi forces are battling the followers of radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

The military confirmed Monday that two Iraqi civilians were wounded in a Hellfire missile attack late Sunday in Baghdad’s southwestern Aamel neighborhood and were evacuated to a military hospital.

Clashes erupted before noon Monday in the militia stronghold of Shula and heavy gunfire could be heard. Apache attack helicopters could be seen circling the center of Shula and U.S. armored vehicles blocked entrances into the neighborhood.

Earlier Monday, U.S. soldiers called for air support after coming under fire from a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms in Kazimiyah district. More than an hour later, one militant was killed with rounds from an AC-130 gunship, the military said.

The AC-130 can slowly circle over a target for long periods. Human rights groups have criticized their use in urban settings where militants may be among crowded populations of non-combatants. The four-engine gunships were also used to support the U.S. attack that took the western city of Fallujah from insurgents in November 2004.

U.S. and Iraqi officials have accused militants of using civilians as human shields during street battles that started more than six weeks ago following a government vow to crack down on the militias.