American forces bombard al-Haidari courtyard in Najaf

The pace of the American assaults against positions were fighters of al-Mahdi army are fighting in Najaf has escalated to hit this time the Haidari courtyard ( Sahen) itself and the western wall of Imam Ali Shrine.

One American Apache planes fired two missiles one hit the western wall of the tomb, while the second hit a neighboring hotel where leaderships of al-Mahdi army presumed to stay. The spokesman for the Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sader Ahmad al-Sheibani announced that the bombardment inflicted damages in one of the golden domes, veiling the shrine.

A spokesman for the American forces denied this information saying that the American forces retaliated the fire of the gunmen but have not targeted the shrine.

The American helicopters and AC 130 jets bombarded the old town and the cemetery in Najaf. Fire was seen in buildings besieging the Haidari courtyard while on the ground frequent fighting took place, that resulted according to medical sources in killing two people and injuring four.

Meantime, the delegation of the Iraqi national congress set a precondition to resume its mediation in Najaf in getting a written pledge from Muqtada al-Sader over dismantling the weapons of al-Mahdi army and withdrawal from the shrine before the delegation would return to Najaf again.

Meantime, an unknown Shiite group calling itself " Hussein Islamic groups" said in a statement issued on the Internet it will attack the forces led by the US and the American forces in Iraq if the American forces will not leave Najaf city within 48 hours.

The group also threatened to attack all oil pipelines and wells every where inside Iraq.