The U.S. military's 3,500 soldiers deployed to Iraq as part of the so-called "surge" in U.S. troops last year are set to leave.

US soldier from 3rd Brigade Combat team, 3rd Infantry Division listens to Iraqi woman during patrol (March 2008 file photo)

A military statement says the soldiers from the Third Infantry Division will be moved out of Iraq in the next few weeks.

U.S. Brigadier General Dan Allyn says the regular withdrawal of surge brigades from Iraq demonstrates continued progress in the country.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military reports militants fired rockets into central Baghdad early Tuesday wounding several people, including two policemen. The attack also caused damage to a local park. An Iraqi police station also was damaged.

Separately, the U.S. military says Iraqi and U.S. forces killed a total of nine insurgents and discovered at least three weapons caches late Monday and early today.

Iraqi security officials also report they have detained dozens of policemen suspected of aiding Shi'ite militias in Baghdad late Monday.

The re-deployment of the 3,500 U.S. troops is in line with a U.S. plan to complete a withdrawal of at least 20,000 surge troops by the end of July.

Last month, President Bush ordered an indefinite suspension of U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq after July, and he imposed a 45-day freeze on withdrawals of the remaining 140,000 American troops in Iraq.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, and Reuters.