US troops killed ten suspected Shiite militiamen backed by Iran in eastern part of the Iraqi capital, the US military said on Thursday.

A military statement said that the incident occurred on Wednesday when US troops observed and engaged suspected Shiite militia group, code-named "Special Groups", planting roadside bombs in the Fedhieliyah neighborhood in Baghdad al-Jadida or New Baghdad district.

Recently, US and Iraqi security forces captured or killed many militiamen affiliated to the Special Groups which, according to the coalition forces, consist of Shiite militia extremists funded, trained and armed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force operatives.

On Tuesday, the US military said in a statement that Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) captured a suspected leader of 300 Shiite militiamen and an employee in the Iraqi interior ministry during a raid in the Shiite neighborhood of Shu'la in northern Baghdad on Sunday.

Previously, US and some Iraqi officials accused Iran of arming, funding and training Shiite militias in Iraq. Iran denies the accusations.

(Xinhua News Agency May 29, 2008)