An U.S. military strike in the northern Baghdad killed 8 people. Among the victims there were also two children, the local police said.

According to local officials, a U.S. army helicopter targeted a car near the town of Baiji, but, as usual, there were collateral victims.

The U.S. military did not give many details about the strike. Military officials acknowledged the accident and said an investigation was underway.

Before the helicopter strike, the U.S. military informed that a clash between American troops and Iranian-backed Shi'ite insurgents ended with the killing of 11 people in eastern Baghdad. The clash occurred during security operations carried out by the U.S. soldiers on Wednesday.

Among the victims were also civilians, Iraqi police said. A local TV station said one of its cameramen was killed in the crossfire. Another journalist, Haidar Hashem, who probably died in similar conditions after being kidnapped a few days ago, was found dead Thursday near the Diyala provincial capital of Baqouba.

After approximately 10,000 Iraqi security personnel entered the Shi'ite militia stronghold in Baghdad on Thursday, the country’s capital was calm on Wednesday. The deployment of the security personnel in tanks, armored cars and trucks was made after a truce was reached with the Mahdi Army, an Iraqi paramilitary force created by the Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in June 2003.