The first fighting between al-Mahdi army and the Iraqi police since the truce: six killed 29 injured in Najaf confrontations
Iraq, Military, 6/11/2004

Membes of "al-Mahdi army" carried out armed confrontations with the Iraqi security forces, the first of its kind since the truce agreement with the American occupation forces two weeks ago, and resulted in killing 6 Iraqis and wounding other 29 including 8 children.

Yesterday's confrontation is considered a typical example of what might happen in various parts of Iraq after handing over the authority to the Iraqis on June 30. A high ranking American military official said that the occupation forces will not leave the roads immediately on that date ( June 30) but will minimize its presence gradually, while the Iraqi security forces are assuming control.

Witnesses said that a state of chaos prevailed south Najaf after the Iraqi resistance force occupied for two hours the Iraqi police center following 10 hour of fighting. The witnesses added that the police center, which is 250 meters from Imam Ali tomb was robbed and fire was set in its cars.

In a later time, members in the Iraqi police exchanged the fire with the fighters of " al-Mahdi army" near one of al-Sader houses, according to an official in the police Muhannad Qaddahin, noting that the Iraqi security forces were deployed in the surrounding of al-Hakim hospital after reports said that " al- Mahdi amry " members threated the injured security men admitted to it. He added that the resistance men were the side which started the fire and this forced the security men to retaliate.

Meantime, fightings resumed yesterday in the surrounding of the main police center which was exposed on Wednesday late evening to fire when the attacks started and the American forces were not involved.

On the other hand, the Iraqi prime minister Eyad Allawi said that 130 attacks at Iraqi oil pipelines cost the country more than USD 200 million duing the past seven months and that foreign fighters are targeting the basic infrastructure of the oil industry in the country.

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