Fightings Continue in Najaf
VOA News
22 Aug 2004, 11:39 UTC
Explosions and gunfire shook the streets of the Iraqi holy city of Najaf Sunday, as a new round of fighting erupted between U.S. forces and Iraqi Shi'ites holed up in a religious shrine.
The fighting broke out after U.S. tanks took up positions about 800 meters from the Imam Ali shrine. U.S. warplanes pounded nearby targets during the early-morning hours, hitting Shi'ite fighters in the city's sprawling cemetery district.
The U.S. military has not commented on the battle, other than to say fighting is ongoing.
Talks in Najaf between Shi'ite religious leaders and rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's militias are said to remain at an impasse.
Meanwhile, Iraqi government sources say fighting in the nearby city of Kufa Saturday killed more than 40 militants.
Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
