Al Jazeera English - News - Deaths In Fresh Baghdad Fighting

UPDATED ON:
SUNDAY, MAY 04, 2008
12:32 MECCA TIME, 9:32 GMT

NEWS MIDDLE EAST





Deaths in fresh Baghdad fighting

Sadr City has been scene of almost daily gun battles between Shia fighters and joint US-Iraqi foces [EPA]

At least 10 people have been killed in crossfire between US troops and Iraqi Shia fighters in Baghdad's Sadr City district, while a blast elsewhere has killed four US soldiers.

The clashes in Sadr City early on Sunday came a day after a US rocket attack damaged a hospital in the stronghold of Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia leader.

Iraqi security officials and medical sources said another 17 people were also wounded in the fighting in Sadr City.

There was no immediate word from the US military.

Hundreds of people have been killed in the clashes which began on March 25 and followers of al-Sadr have accused the US military of killing civilians.

The US military charges that the fighters have been using civilians as human shields.

Marines' deaths

The deaths of the US soldiers occurred when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device on Friday.

The attack marks one of the deadliest attacks against US troops in the mainly Sunni province in months, the military said on Sunday without specifying the exact location of the ambush.

The attack came 10 days after a similar ambush in Anbar in which two US marines were killed and three wounded.

Source: Agencies

Related:
	Iraq hospital 'damaged by US raid' (03 May 2008)
	Iraq threatens assault on militias (30 Apr 2008)
	Several die in fresh Iraq clashes (27 Apr 2008)

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