16 killed in Basra air strikes

The US military says 16 enemy fighters have been killed in airstrikes supporting Iraqi troops during clashes with Shiite militiamen in Basra.

Military spokesman Major Brad Leighton said an AC-130 gunship strafed heavily armed militants attacking Iraqi forces from three rooftops in the southern city.

Iraqi police earlier claimed eight civilians, including two women and a child, had been killed when a US warplane destroyed a house early Saturday.

But Major Leighton said US special operations forces helped identify the militants before the airstrike.

British military spokesman Major Tom Holloway also said US jets later dropped two precision-guided bombs on a suspected militia stronghold north of the city, but no casualties were reported.