|
Iraqi Clashes threaten to reignite Shi'ite rising
Followers of rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have shot down a U.S. helicopter in the Iraqi city of Najaf and two have been killed by British troops in Basra in clashes that threaten to reignite a Shi'ite uprising. The fighting in Najaf was the heaviest in the city since a rebellion by Sadr's followers in April and May. The city is home to the holiest shrines in Shi'ite Islam, and most Iraqi Shi'ites react with outrage when clashes erupt near the sacred sites. The U.S. military said on Thursday it estimated seven of Sadr's fighters were killed in Najaf, and British forces said they killed two militiamen in Basra after an attack by Sadr's men. "Coalition forces were attacked with small arms fire and returned fire, killing two enemy fighters," a British military spokeswoman said, adding that no British soldiers were wounded.Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-08-05 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=39826 |