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Najaf blast: 8 dead
19/08/2004 14:52 - (SA)
Najaf - A barrage of mortar rounds slammed into a police station in the holy city of Najaf on Thursday, killing at least eight policemen and wounding 30 others, a hospital official said.
The police station has been the frequent target of attacks from militants loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
The hospital was overflowing with the injured, some of whom were forced to sit on the floor as others lined the halls. Blood pooled on the floor and moans of pain echoed in the corridors.
Some of the survivors looked dazed, their police shirts covered in blood.
Relatives cried and comforted each other; one man slapped his face in grief.
"Why did it happen?" yelled another.
After the attack, a police force raided a local hotel where journalists were staying, saying they suspected some of the reporters helped the attackers locate the police station.
The attacks came despite al-Sadr's acceptance of a peace proposal that demands his militia lay down its arms. The government said earlier on Thursday that al-Sadr had to implement the plan immediately or it would begin a major offensive against his followers here.
Al-Sadr's aides say they cannot implement the plan yet because the United States military keeps attacking them. - AP
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