NAJAF, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi and U.S. forces Sunday killed an estimated 250 to 300 gunmen in the Shiite holy city of Najaf during heavy fighting, an interior ministry official told CNN.Those killed were part of a contingent of about 600 gunmen, stationed outside the city, who planned to attack Najaf, take control of the province, and kill Shia clerics including Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the official said.
The insurgents were responsible for downing a U.S. helicopter with a missile near Najaf, the official said. The official said the number of 250 to 300 killed is an Iraqi police estimate based on the type of artillery used in the battle and the number of insurgents involved in the fighting.