Pink Spider
04-05-2004, 12:16 AM
By David Blair in Baghdad
(Filed: 05/04/2004)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/04/05/wirq05.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/04/05/ixnewstop.html
Violence in Iraq yesterday left at least 34 people dead, including nine allied soldiers, after a radical Shi'ite leader called for an uprising.
Seven US soldiers were killed and more than 24 wounded in clashes with Shia militiamen in Sadr City, Baghdad. At least one Iraqi was killed. The fighting flared after the militia tried to take control of police stations and government buildings.
Supporters of firebrand cleric Muqtader al-Sadr
In Najaf, two allied soldiers were killed, 20 Iraqis died and 210 were wounded after gunmen among 5,000 demonstrators opened fire at a base for Spanish soldiers.
In Amarah, near Basra, British troops were involved in fighting which led to four Iraqis dying.
The firebrand cleric, Muqtader al-Sadr, who is popular among urban, impoverished Shi'ites, told his followers that demonstrations were of no use.
In a statement yesterday he urged them to "terrorise your enemy, as we cannot remain silent over its violations".
The trigger for the trouble was the arrest on Saturday night of one of Mr al-Sadr's closest aides, Mustapha Yacoubi. He was held in connection with the murder of a rival cleric, Abdul Majid al-Khoei, who was stabbed to death at a Shi'ite holy shrine in Najaf last year.
Shi'ite Muslims comprise about 60 per cent of Iraq's population. So far, most have refrained from backing the attacks on allied forces. If they were to mount an uprising, the situation would probably become uncontainable.
(Filed: 05/04/2004)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/04/05/wirq05.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/04/05/ixnewstop.html
Violence in Iraq yesterday left at least 34 people dead, including nine allied soldiers, after a radical Shi'ite leader called for an uprising.
Seven US soldiers were killed and more than 24 wounded in clashes with Shia militiamen in Sadr City, Baghdad. At least one Iraqi was killed. The fighting flared after the militia tried to take control of police stations and government buildings.
Supporters of firebrand cleric Muqtader al-Sadr
In Najaf, two allied soldiers were killed, 20 Iraqis died and 210 were wounded after gunmen among 5,000 demonstrators opened fire at a base for Spanish soldiers.
In Amarah, near Basra, British troops were involved in fighting which led to four Iraqis dying.
The firebrand cleric, Muqtader al-Sadr, who is popular among urban, impoverished Shi'ites, told his followers that demonstrations were of no use.
In a statement yesterday he urged them to "terrorise your enemy, as we cannot remain silent over its violations".
The trigger for the trouble was the arrest on Saturday night of one of Mr al-Sadr's closest aides, Mustapha Yacoubi. He was held in connection with the murder of a rival cleric, Abdul Majid al-Khoei, who was stabbed to death at a Shi'ite holy shrine in Najaf last year.
Shi'ite Muslims comprise about 60 per cent of Iraq's population. So far, most have refrained from backing the attacks on allied forces. If they were to mount an uprising, the situation would probably become uncontainable.