Special report: Tension escalates in Iraq

    BAGHDAD, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said Thursday that the suspension of his militia activities would continue indefinitely.

    "The suspension of Mahdi Army will continue indefinitely, and anyone breaches this order will not be considered a member of this group," Sadr said in a statement obtained by Xinhua.

    "We have a cultural program named the al-Mumahdoon, and everyone should abide by it and whoever disagree would be out of the Army," the statement said.

    In last August, Sadr ordered six months freezing of armed activities for his militia and then he extended it in February fora further six months.

    However, the statement did not say whether the suspension would include special group that Sadr earlier planned to form in order to fight U.S. troops in Iraq.

    In a ceremony in Friday prayers in June in holy Shiite town of Kufa, Sadr said in his statement which was read to his followers that "The resistance of the occupiers will be carried out exclusively by a special group which I will declare later."

    In March, hundreds of people were killed when Sadr's Mahdi Army fought fierce clashes against U.S.-backed Iraqi security forces in Baghdad despite Sadr's announcement of cease-fire.