BAGHDAD, March 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Twenty bodies were found in a Shiite mosque in northern Baghdad after militia loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr clashed with U.S. troops on Sunday, Interior Ministry source told Xinhua.

    But the source did not specify whether the bodies were militants or civilians.

    The bodies were found by Iraqi police in al-Moustafa mosque after U.S. troops withdrew, he said.

    Iraqi police also found bombs planted by American forces, which were later defused, the source added.

    The U.S. military has not yet confirmed the report. Earlier, the source said at least ten members of the Mehdi Army loyal to Muqtada Sadr were killed in clashes with U.S. troops. The clashes occurred at around 6:30 p.m. (1530 GMT) in Urdistrict of Baghdad, the source said.

    The area has been cordoned off by American forces, he said. A senior aide to Muqtada Sadr told the al-Arabiya television that U.S. forces surrounded a Shiite mosque and killed at least 16 to 17 worshippers.

    Abdul al-Hadi al-Daraji said that there were also an unknown number of people arrested. Enditem