A bomb attack at a council in eastern Baghdad killed two American soldiers, two United States citizens and six Iraqis as well, BBC reported. The US military said “specials groups” (members of Shia Muslim militia) are responsible for the deadly attack.

“Special Groups are afraid of progress and afraid of empowering the people," said Lt. Col.
John Digiambatista of the 4th Infantry Division according to CNN.

The powerful blast also wounded 10 people who were unlucky enough to be around when it happened including three members of the Sadr City council. It exploded inside the office of the deputy leader of the council, who was also wounded in the suicide bomb attack.

The attack was carried out by a suicide bomber, said the Iraqi police, but the U.S. military investigators said a bomb had been planted in the building. A suspect who was linked to the bomb attack was caught when he was trying to flee the scene.

Sadr City is Baghdad’s most populous Shiite district and also a stronghold of the Mahdi Army, militants loyal to the anti-American cleric Moktada al-Sadr who recently announced his purpose to develop a fighting force that would battle U.S.-led forces in Iraq.

The attack was carried out at about 9.30 a.m. during a meeting of the district advisory council in Sadr City. U.S. troops were in the area, said an Iraqi Interior Ministry official. This attack pushes the death toll of U.S. service members to the staggering number of 4,106 since the Iraq war began.

Despite the fact that a truce has been reached between the U.S.-led coalition troops and the Mahdi Army, violence persists.