20 die in Najaf clashes

2004-04-04 15:05

Najaf - At least 20 Iraqis have been killed and about 150 wounded after Spanish-led coalition troops fired on protesters in the Iraqi city of Najaf.

Reporters said troops fired from several directions, prompting clashes between the troops and militiamen loyal to a radical Shi'ite cleric.

The protests had erupted over the arrest of an aide to the cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr.

The US civil administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, said while Iraqis were free to protest, this kind of violence would not be tolerated.

"It will not be tolerated by the coalition, it will not be tolerated by the Iraqi forces and it will not be tolerated by the Iraqi people," he said.

Witnesses said the troops opened fire when thousands of protesters tried to enter a coalition base on the edge of the city.

Spanish, El Salvadorean and other Spanish-speaking troops are headquartered at the base.

Meanwhile, at least two protesters were injured when police fired warning shots during a rally in central Baghdad.

Hundreds of protesters were gathered in the city's Firdaus Square in support of the same anti-American Shi'ite Muslim cleric.

Witnesses said police fired, mostly in the air.

- AFP