Sepcial Report:Tension accelerates in Iraq 

    BAGHDAD, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi troops exchanged heavy fire with members of the Mahdi Army loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in the southern city of Diwaniyah, leaving at least 34 people dead and dozens injured, officials said on Monday.

    Iraqi army officers said that the clash broke out late Sunday night when Iraqi forces were conducting a raid in the city to crack down on militants and seize weapons.

    The gunfire continued on Monday and Iraqi forces were trying to negotiate a ceasefire with the militants, an Iraqi army officer said.

    A doctor of the city's general hospital said that 34 bodies were brought in -- bodies of 25 Iraqi soldiers, seven civilians and two militants. He also said that at least 70 were injured in the clash.

    Diwaniyah, some 130 km south of Baghdad, is a Shiite-dominated city. Enditem