In Iraq, three suspected Al -Qaida militants were killed today in a raid by U.S. and Iraqi troops in a village in the eastern province of Diyala. According to sources, the operation was conducted at dawn when the joint troops stormed the village of Kharab, some 20 kilometres south of the provincial capital city of Baquba and shot dead the three who said to be a sleeping cell. The source added that the suspected cell was planning to carry out attacks in the coming weeks to disturb the country's March elections. Another joint U.S. and Iraqi force arrested four suspects in a separate raid near the Swamrra area, just north of Baquba City. The source said Iraqi security forces detained six more suspects in separate search operations across Diyala during the day.