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U.S. Forces Keep Sh'ite Militants Guessing
U.S. forces appeared to keep Sh'ite militants guessing in the city of Najaf overnight, firing off sporadic rounds as a military aircraft flew overhead. A fire that had raged after blasts and shooting died down but a skirmish then began in the north side of Najaf, a sacred Sh'ite city turned battle zone. It was not clear what caused the fire which appeared to be on the south side of the city where militants loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr are holed up in the Imam Ali shrine and under siege by U.S. forces. Thursday, U.S. AC-130 gunships pounded positions held by militants loyal to Sadr and smoke was still rising Saturday from a building militants said was hit in those strikes. An AC-130 could be heard circling overhead early Sunday but it was holding back on firing its howitzer, cannon and machinegun fire. Sadr fighters had clashed sporadically with U.S. forces earlier after talks with religious authorities to end a siege at Najaf's holiest shrine ran into difficulties. Posted by: Fred 2004-08-22 |
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