Baghdad - At least eight people were killed and 13 injured Wednesday when US aircraft bombed positions of the Mahdi Army militia in Sadr City in east Baghdad, according to witnesses.

Fresh clashes between the Shiite Mahdi Army and US forces broke out Tuesday evening, the witnesses said.

Iraqi special forces backed by US troops conducted operations in the area "to reduce special groups' criminal activity," the US military said in a statement Wednesday.

Special groups is the term the military used to describe Iranian- backed Shiite militiamen.

Seven suspected militiamen were arrested during the operation on Tuesday.

Mosques in Sadr City have been reportedly used "as cover for criminal activity," according to the statement.

The military said its aircraft destroyed gunmen's positions in Sadr City Tuesday but could not ascertain whether people were killed or injured in the strike.

Iraqi lawmakers called Tuesday for an end to the clashes, which have been going on for 40 days between the Shiite militiamen loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and the Iraqi and US forces.

In a debate in Iraqi parliament, lawmakers proposed setting up a committee to disarm militiamen in the slum area and stop the violence there.

"At least 20 people are killed on a daily basis, mostly women and children, in Sadr City," said Iraqi parliamentarian Bahaa al-Araji.

"Saddam Hussein was hanged for killing 148 Iraqis, while this regime has killed more than 2,000 people," al-Araji said, adding that he does not accuse anyone in particular.

The lawmaker said the Mahdi Army and the government should discuss their problems together.

"The problem is that Moqtada al-Sadr does not trust the government, so a third neutral party should attend the discussion," al-Araji said. (dpa)