BAGHDAD (AFP) -- The armed men of anti-American Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's militia vanished from the streets of Baghdad on Thursday, saying they were obeying their leader's order for a six-month truce.

The black-clad Mahdi Army militiamen, normally dominant in their bastion of Sadr City, a teeming Shiite neighborhood in eastern Baghdad, were absent from the streets, an AFP photographer reported.
""In Baghdad we will now lie low and obey the order until there are new orders to restart our activities,"" fighter Abu Moqtada said.
Another, who asked not to be named, said ""we cannot break his word. His word is an order for us.""
On Wednesday Sadr ordered his militia to suspend for six months all activities, including attacks on U.S. troops, after his fighters were suspected of involvement in gunbattles during a Shiite religious festival in the city of Karbala.
The fighting between police and gunmen left 52 people dead and 300 wounded as hundreds of thousands of pilgrims were gathered to celebrate the birthday of the eighth century Imam Mohammed al-Mahdi.
His aides said the move was aimed at rooting out ""rogue elements"".
The government welcomed the freeze, saying it could rein in violence in Baghdad and other regions.
National security advisor Muwaffaq al-Rubaie told the BBC it was ""very good news"" that would ""contribute to peace and stability.""
The U.S. military also gave a cautious welcome, but said it would wait to see whether the order was followed by Sadr's fighters.
""Any time someone in Iraq, especially a leader, wants to use non-violent methods to solve problems and to participate in a meaningful way in the future of Iraq, we encourage this,"" said spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Chris Garver.
""As always, the proof will be what we see on the street. But we encourage any leader to work to end criminality, to work to end violence and to seek non-violent methods to move Iraq forward,"" he said in a statement.
Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said a much-awaited progress report by top U.S. officials in Baghdad would not contain any ""magical solution or an instant answer"" to end the problems besetting the war-ravaged country.
U.S. General David Petraeus, the head of U.S.-led forces in Iraq, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, will deliver their testimony on the war's progress to Congress on September 10 and 12, the White House said.
The two officials will brief both chambers ahead of the report that will be delivered to the legislature by September 15, spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
Their report is expected to guide Washington's future strategy amid rising pressure to withdraw troops.
Zebari said the report would focus on the ""dangers"" if foreign troops pull out and indicate how ""things should go forward.""
He said there was progress on the security and economic fronts in Iraq but it was ""not matched on the political front.