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Iraq: Tater Tots, guards clash
 Supporters of Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have clashed with guards of a provincial governor's office in Nasiriyah, witnesses said. More than 10 people were reported injured in the attacks on Friday. The fighting occurred during an organised parade of about 2000 members of al-Sadr's Jaish al-Mahdi (al-Mahdi Army) in Nasiriyah, about 320km southeast of Baghdad. An Associated Press reporter on the scene said the al-Sadr supporters, many holding the Quran above their heads, were marching towards the anti-US cleric's office, which is near the headquarters of the Dhi Qar provincial governor, Aziz Abed Alwan. Armed men guarding the headquarters opened fire towards the crowd in an apparent bid to disperse it, prompting retaliatory shooting from al-Sadr supporters. An official from Nasiriyah General Hospital said four police officers and four civilians were wounded in the firefight and are being treated. Another six al-Sadr supporters were wounded in the fighting, said Sheikh al-Khafaji, an official at al-Sadr's Nasiriyah office. The parade was attended by Fatah al-Sheikh, a member of Iraq's National Assembly. Posted by: Fred 2005-05-22 |
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