Attacks put Mehdi Army ceasefire on shaky ground

Baghdad: Mehdi Army fighters attacked police patrols in southern Baghdad overnight, police said on Friday, further fraying a seven-month-old ceasefire called by Shi'ite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr to rein in his militia.

The clashes in Baghdad's Shurta district follow outbreaks of violence in the southern Iraqi city of Kut in which Mehdi Army fighters have battled US and Iraqi security forces. Three people were killed in fresh fighting in Kut late on Thursday.

The fighting took place on the same day that Iraq marked the fifth anniversary of the US-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussain.

Self-defence

Al Sadr, whose militia fought two uprisings against US forces in 2004, first called a ceasefire last Aug-ust and extended it last month.

But two weeks ago he issued a statement telling his followers they could defend themselves if attacked.

Shortly afterwards, gunbattles broke out between Mehdi Army fighters and Iraqi and US security forces in Kut, raising fears that the ceasefire was unravelling. Until Thursday, violence involving the Mehdi Army had been confined to Kut.

US military spokesman Major Mark Cheadle said US forces had launched an operation on Thursday in the Rashid district of Baghdad, which includes Shurta, to target gunmen firing mortars on civilian areas.

Six gunmen were killed by ground troops and air strikes by Apache attack helicopters and two detained, he said. An Iraqi police lieutenant meanwhile had been kidnapped, he added.

Both Kut and Shurta were reported to be quiet on Friday, although police said Iraqi and US forces had surrounded the southern Baghdad district.

Two police officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the clashes in Shurta began on Thursday night when Mehdi Army fighters launched attacks on police patrols and attacked a checkpoint.

"They captured 17 policemen and forced them to take off their clothes. They freed them in their underwear," said an the officials.

The second police source said the gunmen had burnt several cars and captured a number of weapons from the police. US forces later brought eight bodies in black plastic sacks to al- Bayaa police station in southern Baghdad, he said.

US commanders have said Al Sadr's ceasefire has contributed to a 60 per cent drop in violence since last June, allowing them to push ahead with plans to begin withdrawing 20,000 troops sent to Iraq last year to help curb sectarian bloodletting.

They are therefore likely to be worried by any sign that Al Sadr's truce is no longer being observed by some elements of his militia, who are estimated to number in the thousands.

US commanders say the spike does not represent a trend, but analysts warn that Al Qaida and Mehdi Army elements may step up attacks ahead of November's US presidential election.