Shi’ite cleric in march to end Najaf bloodshed

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.

In honour of Grand Ayatollah Ali Husseini al-Sistani’s arrival, militants loyal to radical Shi’ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said they would suspend fighting with coalition and Iraqi forces in every region al-Sistani passes through on his way to Najaf, said al-Sadr aide Aws al-Khafaji.

Heavy fighting persisted in Najaf’s Old City, the centre of much of the past three weeks of clashes.