US warplanes have dropped seven bombs on a bridge south of Baghdad which was allegedly used for smuggling weapons into the capital.

Four bombs of 2,000 pounds and three of 500 pounds were dropped on Sunday on an "improvised steel reinforced bridge inhibiting insurgent movement south of Baghdad," the US military claimed in a statement on Thursday.

The strike was part of Operation Marne Avalanche launched recently to target alleged insurgent strongholds in Baghdad's southern belts and in central provinces such as Babil, Karbala and Najaf.

The military claimed the operation has so far resulted in the killing of five insurgents, the detention of 42 others and the discovery of a large weapons cache.

The US last air raid in Iraq targeted a residential area, killing at least 10 civilians and wounding more than 20 others. The victims in the strike, which took place on Monday, were mostly women and children.

MRI/RE