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US jets bomb Najaf
22/08/2004 08:25 - (SA)
Najaf - US jets staged raids Sunday overnight in the holy city of Najaf near the revered Imam Ali mosque where fresh clashes erupted in the morning between Shiite militiamen and US forces, an AFP correspondent reported.
US warplanes pounded the central Iraqi city between 02:30 and 03:00, causing three large explosions near the mausoleum where militiamen loyal to radical cleric Moqtada Sadr are dug in.
It was not immediately clear whether these aerial attacks on rebel positions had caused any casualties.
Sporadic gunfire also broke out early on Sunday around the mosque, which was still controlled by Sadr's Mehdi Army.
Despite an agreement for the Shiite gunmen to leave the holy site, differences have emerged on when and how the keys to the mosque should be handed over.
The smouldering violence around the revered site came amid fears that efforts to end the weeks-long bloody standoff could once again be dashed by last-minute hitches in the details of the deal.
US troops backing Iraqi forces in Najaf have significantly scaled back their deployment in Najaf and Saturday was mostly calm despite sporadic exchanges of fire.
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