HEAVY gunfire and huge explosions resounded in Karbala yesterday as US forces battled Iraqi militiamen near a gold-domed shrine that is one of the most sacred sites for Shi’ite Muslims.

Heavy gunfire and explosions were heard today in the holy city of Karbala, where American troops are battling fighters loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Black smoke rose near the Imam Hussein shrine, one of the most sacred sites of Shia Islam.