Attacks on US troops up in Shiite area: commander

[Barrett808]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US troops in a relatively quiet Shiite area south of Baghdad have come under increasing attack by groups linked to Shiite militias, even as relations with Sunnis have improved in other areas, a US commander said.

Colonel John Tully, commander of the 4th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade, said people associated with radical cleric Moqtada Sadr's Jaish al-Mahdi militia were often linked to the attacks in his area.

The attacks, which mainly involved roadside bombs, were up by about 25 percent, he said.

"You know, maybe two more per week, something along those lines. It's not a significant spike, but it's worrisome, because I do have people operating on the roads," Tully told reporters via video link from Baghdad.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060728/pl_afp/usiraqmilitary