Shiite militant group Ketaeb Hezbollah, which has claimed deadly attacks on US troops in Iraq, warned a South Korean consortium Sunday to halt work on a controversial Kuwaiti port project.

The consortium led by Hyundai began work on the Mubarak al-Kabir port in May, raising the ire of authorities in Baghdad who have repeatedly demanded a halt to the project, which they say will strangle Iraqi shipping lanes.

"We are warning the companies working on the Kuwaiti port against continuing the project," said a statement from Ketaeb Hezbollah.

"The Iraqi people will not forget what the government of Kuwait is doing by building a port to strangle Iraq economically," said the statement, posted on the group's website.

The militia, which US officials say is backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for a June 6 rocket attack in which six American soldiers were killed. It was the worst day of the deadliest month for US forces in three years. The military lost 14 troops in June.

US military officials in Iraq said earlier this month that rockets used against their soldiers had been traced to the group, and that they carried the signature of Iran.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Friday that Kuwait had yet to notify Baghdad officially of the Mubarak project. He said Baghdad only learned about it from third parties.

Earlier this month, Iraqi Transport Minister Hadi al-Amari urged Kuwait to stop work on the port which he said would block Iraqi access to shipping lanes.

The $1.1 billion (778 million euro) facility, on Kuwait's Bubiyan Island, is scheduled for completion in 2016.

The Gulf is the main export outlet for Iraqi oil, which accounts for the lion's share of the country's revenues, and Baghdad has started major work to modernise its outdated ports.

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