American bombardment renewed against Najaf, Iraqis killed in Koufa

The American forces yesterday evening renewed its bombardment of Najaf city and fire was seen in the skies of the city. The director of al-Sader office in al-Basereyah, Ous al-Khazraji, said that al-Mahdi army forces have actually lost hold on parts from the city.

Fighting escalated yesterday in the surrounding of Imam Ali shrine. News reports said that the American forces backed by the police tightened its besiege on the fighters of al-Mahdi army who are fortifying their positions in al-Haidari courtyard.

This came at a time when each of the Shiite reference Ayatullah Ali al-Seistani who had just arrived from London from medical treatment and the Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sader, separately called on their supporters to head for Najaf city in order to rescue the city from bloodshed and dismantling the siege imposed on it.

As Seistani heads to the city today from Basra, the supporters of al-Sader announced pending their military operations in southern Iraq in appreciation for his arrival in the place.

Al-Sader also announced that he is ready to implement the directives of the Shiite reference. His director of office Ous al-Khafaji said that in an interview with al-Jazeera TV in Qatar.