Iraqi, U.S. forces flood Amara

AMARA, Iraq, June 14 (UPI) -- Iraqi troops and police backed by the U.S. military swarmed Amara, Iraq, Saturday in an attempt to break the will of armed Shiite gunmen there, officials said.

Checkpoints were set up in the southern Iraqi city and Iraqi Army tanks were seen patrolling major streets in what was believed to be another attempt by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to impose central government authority on the war-torn nation, the BBC reported. Leaflets were dropped from helicopters warning people to stay in their homes and not to interfere with the troops and police, the British network said.

A U.S. military spokesman would say only that the operation was led and planned by the Iraqis.

The Iraqi security forces say their latest offensive will target what they refer to as "outlaws," the Voice of America network reported. Amara, which is near the Iranian border, is believed to be a major weapons-smuggling conduit.

Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr has indicated he supports the Iraqi-run operation, VOA said. His militia, the Mahdi Army, agreed to a cease-fire with the Iraqi government last month, but he has said he will continue to oppose the presence of U.S. forces.