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| At least 40 killed in clashes near Najaf |
| | www.chinaview.cn 2004-08-22 19:41:56 |
BAGHDAD, Aug. 22
(Xinhuanet) -- At least 40 Iraqis were killed on Saturday in fierce clashes
between Shiite militiamen and US-led forces in the town of Kufa near the
southern holy city of Najaf, Iraq's Interior Ministry said
Sunday.
The casualties were Mehdi Army militants loyal to
rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and civilians, the ministry
said.
Kufa, some 10 km northeast of Najaf, is a hotbed of
Shiite insurgents who have risen up with Sadr supporters in some other Iraqi
cities.
Sadr militiamen have been battling US and Iraqi
forces for more than two weeks, during which hundreds of Iraqis were reportedly
killed and thousands wounded with some casualties from the US-led multinational
forces.
On Sunday, US military aircraft pounded positions
held by Sadr militiamen in Najaf, 160 km south of Baghdad.
US military tanks later advanced to a few hundred meters away from Imam Ali shrine where the Shiite militiamen were holed up for the first time during Najaf crisis. Enditem |
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