The U.S. military says coalition forces have killed more than 20 terrorists in operations in Iraq.
The military says nine armed terrorists were killed and eight captured during an operation in east Baghdad.
But Iraqi police and witnesses dispute the report. They say three civilians were killed and several vehicles were damaged during the pre-dawn operation in the mostly-Shi'ite Sadr City neighborhood.
The U.S. military said coalition troops also carried out a raid south of Baghdad to disrupt al-Qaida in Iraq and to boost security in the capital. The military said six terrorists were killed and five others were detained during that operation.
In northern Iraq, the U.S. military says coalition forces killed eight terrorists and detained 15 suspects in operations also targeting al-Qaida in Iraq.
In other news, results of a new opinion poll released Monday showed 61 percent of Iraqis feel the security situation in the country has worsened over the past six months.
The survey commissioned by the BBC, ABC News and Japan's NHK broadcasting network also found that 72 percent of Iraqis believe the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq is hurting the country's security.
It found that 66 percent of Iraqis disapprove of the way Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is handling his job.
In an address to parliament Monday, Mr. Maliki said his government has stopped Iraq from sliding into civil war. But he added that Iraqi forces need more time to take over full security responsibilities from U.S.-led forces.
