BAGHDAD, May 30 (Xinhuanet) -- An Iraqi was killed and 12 others were wounded during the past 24 hours as clashes continued in the holy city of Najaf on Sunday.

    Explosions and gunfire rocked the city after fierce clashes broke out at about 9:00 a.m. (05:00 GMT) near Najaf's sprawling cemetery and the 1920 Revolution Square, witness Muhsin Jawad at the scene told Xinhua.

    The two sides traded fire and loud blasts were heard from US tanks and the militia's rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and machine guns, Jawad said.

    An Iraqi was killed and 12 others were injured, including two children, medical source in Najaf said.

    Clashes between Shiite Muslim militiamen loyal to radical clericMoqtada al-Sadr and US forces have broken out repeatedly in the Najaf area since the firebrand clergy offered a truce on Thursday, under pressures from other Shiite factions in a bid to end fightings in the holy city.

    After normal life seemed temporarily restored in the city over the past few days following the truce, many shops were closed and residents rushed for shelters on Sunday as Najaf's streets looked deserted again.

    Sadr, who has led an uprising against the US forces throughout southern Iraq for the past two months, said he would only disarm his militia and withdraw from Najaf if the US forces also withdrew.

    The US-led coalition agreed Thursday to suspend its military operations in Najaf after Shiite leaders struck a deal with Sadr towithdraw his Mehdi Army from the holy cities.

    Sadr was wanted to answer for charges in relation to a suspect murder of a rival cleric last year and the US-led coalition has been trying to isolate him and to disband his Mehdi Army militia.

    After the ceasefire came into force as of late Thursday, the US-led occupation authority announced a suspension in an effort to "kill or capture" the young cleric, saying the future of Sadr would be discussed among religious and political leaders.

    For his part, Sadr said in an interview with al-Jazeera TV late Friday that "peace would only be possible when foreign forces left Iraq." Enditem