BAGHDAD, March 29 (Reuters) - U.S. forces said on Saturday they had killed 48 militants the previous day in gun battles and air strikes across Baghdad, a sign of deeper involvement in a government crackdown on militia loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

In one strike in northwestern Baghdad late on Friday, a U.S. helicopter fired a Hellfire missile killing 10 militants who attacked a checkpoint. In another incident later in the evening, soldiers on patrol returned fire after an attack, killing nine.

(Reporting by Peter Graff; editing by Ross Colvin)

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