Top Sadr official 'assassinated'
05/02/2007 14:52  - (SA)  

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Baghdad - Iraqi and US forces killed a top official of radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's organisation in a raid on his home north of Baghdad on Sunday, calling him a "rogue leader" of Sadr's Mehdi Army militia.

An official in Sadr's political office, Abdul-Mehdi al- Matiri, called the killing of Khadhim al-Hamadani in the village of Huweidar near Baquba an "assassination".

The US military said in a statement that Hamadani had reportedly been responsible for attacks on US and Iraqi troops and was believed to have "facilitated and directed numerous kidnappings, assassinations and other violence".

They said two Iraqi soldiers shot him dead after storming a building and finding him armed with an assault rifle and "displaying hostile intent".

Iraqi police said Hamadani had been the leader of Sadr's political office in Diyala province. In their report on the incident, they said he was shot when he tried to flee.

But Sadr official Matiri said he had not been shot but stabbed with a bayonet.

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