Al-Sader injured in an American bombardment, calls for continued fighting

The spokesman for the Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sader said that al-Sader -- after he was injured -- called on his supporters to continue " Jihad" even if he is "martyred."

Al-Sheibani said that al-Sader was hit by intermediate injuries in his body in the American bombardment of the old city in Najaf. He stressed that this grave development came after the failure of the negotiations to reach a settlement for the crisis in Najaf.

For his part, Aous al-Khafaji, the director of al-Sader office in al-Nasereyah governorate said that al-Sader was hit by an American plane shelling when he was at Imam Ali shrine, noting that his health condition is not known yet and he was admitted to a safe place for treatment.

Al-Khafaji expected the escalation of fighting in all southern provinces as a reaction to what is taking place in Najaf. He said that al-Mahdi army might carry out its threats to attack the oil pipelines, and had actually cut off electricity and oil to Baghdad from pipelines and supplies that are in al-Nasereyah.

For his part, the commander of al-Mahdi army in Baghdad Qeis al-Khaz'ali confirmed that al-Sader was injured. He said he had received a message calling on him to behave "cleverly," noting that al-Sader supporters will go out in demonstrations in all parts of Iraq to al-Najaf.

Al-Sader was in al-Sader city when the American troops equipped by planes and tanks launched a large scale attack against al-Mahdi army to stop the uprising started one week ago.

This coincided with the bombardment by warplanes and helicopters to the positions of fighters in the old cemetery close to Imam Ali shrine, and prevented access to the Haidari courtyard.

On the other hand, gunmen expected to be from al-Mahdi army, kidnapped one British journalist from the hotel he resides in, in Basra city to the south of Iraq, and threatened to kill him if the American attack against Najaf will not be stopped within 24 hours.