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Fleeing Sadr commanders taking orders from Iran -- US army

BAGHDAD, May 31 (KUNA) -- The US military in Iraq said on Saturday that "special commanders" from Sadr armed militia are fleeing Sadr city in eastern Baghdad and are now taking their orders and training from Iranian revolutionary guards.
The US military said in a statement that based on intelligence reports those commanders who used to be involve with the Mahdi army are on the run every time the US or Iraqi security forces arrest one of them.
However such maneuver was not successful enough since the US army arrested one of the special commanders on Saturday in Al-Rasafah in Baghdad.
The US military said the arrested commander was involved in financing and kidnapping operations in Sadr city.
The statement added intelligence reports also led to the suspect's house where he was discovered to be a prominent assistant to one of the main group commanders who were trained in Iran and lately fled Sadr city.
Last April, the US forces conducted a wide military campaign against the militia in Sadr city which resulted in killing more than one thousand people and confiscation of weapon caches.(end) ahh.mb KUNA 311620 May 08NNNN