At least nine people were hurt as explosions rocked a compound surrounding a mosque in Kufa, one of Iraq’s holy cities, today.

American troops fought militiamen loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr today in the southern city of Karbala, but the city of Najaf was relatively quiet following intense clashes yesterday.

American tanks charged into the centre of the holy city of Najaf today and shelled positions held by fighters loyal to a radical cleric who launched an uprising against the US-led coalition last month.