The military says Thursday's operation targeted criminals responsible for attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces and for kidnapping and murdering Iraqis. Several civilians were wounded during the raid. The U.S. military says no coalition or Iraqi troops were hurt.

Also Thursday, Iraqi police say gunmen stormed a house near the town of Baquba, north of Baghdad, ordered the women and children out, and killed three brothers - all members of a U.S.-backed neighborhood patrol. The gunmen then blew up the building with explosives.

In other fighting, the U.S. military says U.S. forces killed five al-Qaida militants in operations Wednesday near the town of Khalis, north of Baghdad.

Also, the U.S. military said Thursday that an American soldier was killed Wednesday when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in western Baghdad.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and U.S. President George Bush spoke by video conference Wednesday to discuss security developments and political reconciliation in Iraq.

Iraqi and U.S. leaders have agreed to start negotiations about the long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq and hope to reach an accord by the end of July.

Source: By VOA News