Iraqi and U.S. forces raid military academy

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi and U.S. special forces raided Iraq's military academy in eastern Baghdad on Tuesday and arrested people suspected of murder, kidnap and supplying weapons to criminals, the U.S. military said on Wednesday.

"The individuals detained had allegedly used security personnel to murder, kidnap and conduct attacks using improvised explosive devices and EFPs (explosively formed penetrators)," spokesman Major-General Kevin Bergner said.

Getting Iraqi police and army units trained and equipped to maintain security is a key challenge for U.S. forces in Iraq and one of the factors likely to determine when it can scale back troop numbers.

Iraqi police and military are believed to be infiltrated by sectarian militia, making it harder to restore security and ease tension in the country between majority Shi'ite and minority Sunni Arabs.

"The operation by the special forces in the defense ministry confirms the government's determination to provide security and stability and to fight terrorists in every spot of our dear nation," Iraq's defense ministry said in a statement.

Bergner declined to say how many people had been detained or what positions they held at the Rustumiya academy.

A government source said 15 officers, including a colonel, and 50 soldiers had been arrested and that three Iraqi soldiers were wounded during the raid.

Bergner said those arrested were suspected of murdering the academy's commandant and kidnapping his successor. He was released during the raid.

"My understanding is they did apprehend the individuals that they believed were specifically involved in the criminal acts that I mentioned," he said.