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U.S. apologizes for arrest of relative of Shiite politician

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. ambassador to Iraq has issued an apology for the detention of a close relative of a top Shiite politician.

"I'm sorry about the arrest," said Zalmay Khalilzad, saying he does not know the reason Ammar al-Hakim was detained on Friday.

Al-Hakim and his bodyguards were arrested as they were entering Iraq from Iran. They were released 12 hours later, according to The Associated Press.

The Iraqi chief of Border Enforcement initially said that Ammar al-Hakim is the son of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, but he later said he is Abdul Aziz al-Hakim's nephew. His father, the official said, is Mohammed al-Hakim, who was killed in Najaf in August 2003.

Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, one of the most powerful Shiite political parties in Iraq, criticized the U.S. military, saying Friday's detention is an indication of the military's lack of understanding of the Iraqi society.

A SCIRI-affiliated TV station said protesters might take to the streets Saturday to denounce the act.

The U.S. military is investigating reports of the incident, according to spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Garver.

Four U.S. soldiers killed

Four U.S. soldiers died in separate incidents in Iraq, the U.S. military said Friday.

Three U.S. soldiers were killed during a combat mission in Anbar province on Thursday.

Another soldier died from when a roadside bomb struck a Humvee in Diwaniya, south of Baghdad.

The blast wounded three other soldiers who were taken to a military hospital in Baghdad for treatment.

This brings the number of U.S. military deaths in the Iraq war to 3,154.

Police capture suspected insurgent

A suspected insurgent linked to al Qaeda has been captured, Iraqi police said Friday, according to AP.

Issa Abdul-Razzaq Ahmed was detained in a raid on a house in Baghdad, provincial police commander Gen. Mohammed al-Moussawi said, according to AP.

The 22-year-old Sunni, who is accused of financing attacks and recruiting fighters, was on the Interior Ministry's most-wanted list, AP reported.

U.S.: Two detained in attacks on choppers

Two people suspected of being involved in the downing of U.S. helicopters in Iraq have been detained in recent days, according to Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno.

He did not say which of eight recent helicopter incidents were involved. The latest occurred Wednesday north of Baghdad.

The UH-60 Black Hawk was probably shot down by small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades, a military spokesman said Wednesday. Odierno said while the cause was under investigation, initial reports indicate enemy fire was responsible.

Military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said that the chopper landed safely and that all nine occupants were transferred to another helicopter.

Caldwell said Thursday that insurgents put a high value on shooting down helicopters because "it's a high-profile event that gains a lot of attention."

"They're watching what we do; they're paying attention to it; they're very patient," he told CNN. "We in turn are modifying our flight routes, our tactics, our formations, our altitudes, our time of flight and a lot of other things in order to offset what they are intending to do against us."

Other developments

CNN's Saad Abedine, Mike Mount, Octavia Nasr and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

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