Salim Abdallah, spokesman for the National Concord Front, a bloc of three Sunni parties holding 44 seats in parliament, told AFP his group had delivered a message to the government two weeks ago about dissolving the militias.

"If they do not respond to this request, we may abandon the political process and have no other choice but to take up arms," he said.

Abdallah made the statement shortly before entering a closed-door session of the parliament presided over by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, flanked by his ministers of defence and interior.

Parliamentarians peppered the three officials with questions about Iraq's fragile political and security situations, with a number of Sunni politicians reiterating Abdallah's concern, although in a less strident fashion.

The session was adjourned before all the deputies' questions could be answered, and the premier promised to preside over another session on Sunday with his security ministers.

Meanwhile, at least 46 people died in attacks yesterday as violence returned to Baghdad and other flashpoint regions of Iraq after the lifting of a curfew imposed during the sentencing of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein.

The deadliest attack came 30km south of the capital in Mahmudiyah where a car bomb exploded in the centre of a popular market, killing six people and wounding another 26, security sources said.