Shrine hit as Najaf blasted

BACKED by helicopters US tanks charged into Najaf yesterday and blasted positions held by fighters loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who condemned the US in a sermon.

The Shrine of Imam Ali, one of the most sacred sites for Shi’ite Muslims, was slightly damaged in the fighting.

Four Iraqis died and 26 were wounded, said Haidar Raheem Naama, an official at the city’s main hospital. He said most were civilians. At least three militiamen were killed, and their coffins were brought to the shrine for family and friends to pray for their souls.