Thirteen dead as militiamen clash with US troops

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BAGHDAD, Aug 24 (AFP): At least 13 people were killed in pre- dawn clashes between Shiite militiamen and US soldiers in Baghdad Friday, a medic and security officials said.
Doctor Mohammed Abbas from the Al-Noor hospital in the northwestern neighbourhood of Shuala where the clashes took place said he and his colleagues had received 13 corpses of people killed in the firefight.
"Those dead were killed by shrapnel and two of them are women," he said, suggesting that some of the dead could be civilians. "We have also admitted 15 wounded people."
An Iraqi security official said US troops clashed with militiamen between 3:00 am (2300 GMT Thursday) and 5:00 am (0100 GMT) Friday.
"American soldiers in helicopters fired at militants in Shuala area before dawn," he told the news agency on condition of anonymity.