Fighting continues in Najaf

2004-08-23 07:19

Najaf - United States helicopters opened fire overnight on Monday against positions held by Shiite militiamen around a revered shrine in the holy city of Najaf, while sporadic clashes continued to flare in the area.

The gunship raid launched around 02:00 was brief but exchanges of fire between gunmen loyal to radical cleric Moqtada Sadr and US troops continued early on Monday.

The ongoing violence further threatened a deal for Sadr's militia to leave the Imam Ali mosque after a tense two-week-old standoff, as differences remained between Shiite leaders on the procedure to hand over the keys of the compound.

Guns and mortar rounds were also heard being fired from inside the mosque compound before a brief US aerial bombardment over the Old City around midnight on Sunday.

"In clashes this evening around the mausoleum, the Americans used helicopters and tanks. The western wall of the compound was damaged by tank fire and several people inside were killed and injured," said Sadr spokesperson Sheikh Ahmed al-Shaibani.

The claim could not be immediately verified but damage to the holy site could scupper efforts to end what has been the worst crisis since sovereignty was handed over to Iraq on June 28 and risk sparking the anger of the country's Shiite majority.

- AFP