Iraqi security forces backed by US troops and helicopters were chasing several insurgents who took shelters in western Baghdad Wednesday, police said.

The clashes erupted when Iraqi police stormed early in the morning a house in Dawoudi district according to information obtained from a civilian who claimed that he managed to escape from his kidnappers in a house near the embassy of the United Arab Emirates, an Interior Ministry source told Xinhua.

The militants, who did not notice the escape of their hostage, clashed with the police by grenades and machine-guns, the source said.

He said the militants withdrew to nearby houses and continued fierce sporadic clashes with the Iraqi security forces, which called for back-up from the US troops.

The police and the Iraqi army then entered the first house after the militants withdrew and found different weapons, explosive charges and communication devices, the source added.

Source: Xinhua