BAGHDAD (AP):

The top United States military commander in Iraq yesterday accused Iran of continuing to support and train militants who are carrying out attacks, including most of the ones in Baghdad.

Gen Ray Odierno said the attacks have fallen in number but are still a problem. He made the comments just after the US relinquished security for Baghdad and other urban areas to Iraqi forces, part of a security agreement that will see all American soldiers out of the country by the end of 2011.

Iranian funding

"Iran is still supporting, funding and training surrogates who operate inside of Iraq. They have not stopped and I don't think they will stop," Odierno told reporters at the US military headquarters outside Baghdad. "I think many of the attacks in Baghdad are from individuals that have been in fact funded or trained by the Iranians."

Odierno said the attacks were mainly indirect fire, a term usually reserved for mortars, rockets and artillery and EFPs. That last weapon, also known as an explosively formed penetrator, is designed to attack armoured vehicles such as Humvees and is among the main killers of US troops in Iraq. US officials have said the main component of the EFP is manufactured in Iran.

Odierno directly implicated groups supported by Iran in recent rocket attacks against the walled-off Green Zone in central Baghdad.

"Those are being done by groups that have been trained in Iran, been funded by Iran. Usually their leaders are still in Iran and they have surrogates doing operations in Iraq," he said.