How about this one: U.S. Says 300 Rebel Fighters Killed in Najaf, Iraq (Update2)
quote.bloomberg.com
[KLP Note: The article from Australia below this one says that MORE than 1200 militiamen loyal to radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr surrendered today as well.............]
Aug. 6 (Bloomberg) -- U.S.-led coalition forces have killed about 300 militants loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in fighting during the past two days around the city of Najaf, a U.S. military spokesman said by telephone from Baghdad.
The estimated death toll among insurgents was the largest in a single continuing engagement since the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime and the declared end of major combat operations in May last year, the Associated Press reported.
Friday night, the city was quiet, Reuters cited residents as saying.
One U.S. soldier and two Marines were killed yesterday in clashes in Najaf, 100 miles (161 kilometers) south of the Iraqi capital, according to a statement from the U.S. military.
Iraq's interim government, led by Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, has struggled to bring security to Iraq since gaining sovereignty on June 28. Najaf and other cities were the scenes of fighting starting in April between the U.S.-led coalition and al- Sadr's militia. A truce with al-Sadr was brokered in June, and Allawi said last month his government was ready to grant an amnesty to insurgents who give up weapons.
Uprising Sought
Al-Sadr yesterday called for a national uprising against the U.S. and allied military forces through a statement issued in Najaf, his stronghold, the New York Times reported.
The government said today it wouldn't tolerate independent militias, including al-Sadr's Mahdi Army. Allawi spokesman Georges Sada said the militias were ``criminal and terrorist groups that we do not condone and that we will fight,'' according to AP.
Sheikh Raed al-Qathimi, a spokesman for al-Sadr, denied that hundreds of Mahdi militiamen were killed, saying 36 members had died in several cities, Reuters reported.
An Italian military spokesman, Ettore Sarli, said a cease- fire has been reached with Mahdi fighters in Nasiriyah, a southern city on the Euphrates River. He said the accord, which calls for the Italians to move behind their lines so Mahdi fighters could leave the city, was requested by the militia and was negotiated through the office of the governor of Dhi Qar province, Hamid al Rumayad, Reuters said.
Governor's Ultimatum
The governor of Najaf, Adnan al-Zorfi, issued a 24-hour ultimatum to al-Sadr's militia to leave the province, saying ``there is no compromise or room for another truce,'' Agence France-Presse reported.
Besides Najaf, coalition forces battled with al-Sadr's militiamen in five other cities from Baghdad in the center to Basra in the south, the AP said, citing officials and witnesses.
Today AP cited Mahmoud al-Sudani, a spokesman for al-Sadr, as saying that while his side `` did not want to escalate the violence,'' the actions of U.S. forces ``have enraged the sons of these cities.''
He also said the fighters were calling for a truce.
``We have no objections to entering negotiations to solve this crisis,'' al-Sudani said, adding that ``we want a resumption of the truce,'' Reuters reported.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Beth O'Connell in London at boconnell@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Peter Torday at ptorday@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: August 6, 2004 17:01 EDT
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heraldsun.news.com.au
BREAKING NEWS
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1200 militia surrender, 300 dead
From correspondents in Baghdad
07aug04
This story is from our news.com.au network Source: AFP
back
MORE than 1200 militiamen loyal to radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr surrendered today following fierce clashes with US and Iraqi forces in Najaf, the police general directorate said.
"Over 1200 criminals have surrendered to Iraqi forces," it said, adding that the holy city of Najaf had been "secured".
It said most of the captured militiamen were criminals who were released from Iraqi prisons by ousted president Saddam Hussein before last year's US-led invasion.
The statement accused Sadr's Mehdi Army of wanting to "destablise the country", and vowed that "this operation will continue until this illegal and cruel violence has been quelled".
No-one in Sadr's Najaf office was immediately available for comment on the statement.
Earlier, the US military said 300 militiamen had been killed in Najaf since yesterday, while the province's coalition-appointed governor Adnan al-Zorfi said the number was as high as 400.
The military said three US soldiers were killed and 12 wounded.
Sadr's spokesman Sheikh Ahmed al-Shaibani said only nine militiamen were killed in fighting and 20 wounded. |
