BAGHDAD, Nov. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- More than 100 alleged militants were arrested on Thursday in a US-Iraqi joint raid on an eighborhood in the capital city of Baghdad, Iraqi Interior Ministry said.

    Sabah Kadhim, spokesman of the ministry, said the searching operation was conducted in Haifa Street, a presumed stronghold for insurgents. The area has witnessed intensive bombings and clashes in the past two months.

    Among the 104 detainees, most were Iraqis but some were from Syria and other Arab countries, said Kadhim. Nine of the total had escaped from Fallujah, a once rebel-held city being stormed by US Marines and Iraqi security forces.

    It remained unclear whether the suspects had links with Fallujah fighters. Kadhim gave no further details, but said the personnel were believed to "have taken part in terrorist actions."The Iraqi authority has said many of the deadly attacks in Iraq were carried out by insurgents holed up in Fallujah, 50 km west of Baghdad, and the claim justified a massive offensive last Monday toclear the city of insurgents.

    However, officials said many anti-US groups' leaders had managed to escape before the assault began, including al-Qaida ally Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian born terror master and the top wanted man in Iraq.

    US-based satellite channel CNN reported Thursday that the UStroops clearing the last insurgency pockets in the city found the headquarters of Zarqawi group, along with a car-bomb making workshop. Two letters circulated within the group were also shownin a video footage, shot by a CNN reporter embedded with the US Marines. Enditem