Rebel cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has called on his followers to end their uprising against US and Iraqi forces while he considers forming a political movement, senior al-Sadr officials said.

IRAQ’S most powerful Shi’ite cleric arrived home from Britain yesterday and his aides called for a nationwide march to Najaf to end nearly three weeks of fierce fighting between US forces and Shi’ite militants in the holy city.

Militants kidnapped the brother-in-law of Iraqi Defence Minister Hazem Shaalan and demanded he end all military operations in the holy city of Najaf, Al-Jazeera television reported today.

Iraq’s most powerful Shiite cleric arrived home from Britain today and his aides called for a nationwide march to Najaf to end nearly three weeks of fierce fighting between US forces and Shiite militants in this holy city.

Iraqi delegates delivered a peace proposal to aides of Muqtada al-Sadr in Najaf, but the militant cleric refused to meet with them as explosions, gunfire and a US air strike on the sprawling cemetery echoed across the holy city.