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...For a better society... Friday, August 27 2004 Vol 17 No.30 News Editorial Politics Opinion Foreign News Fashion Metro Sports Features Columnists View from America Business Money/Market Maritime Aviation Motoring Rail/Road Iraq: 74 killed in mortar attack CHINWE MADUAGWU (with agency reports) AT least, 74 people were killed yesterday from a mortar attack on a mosque in Kufa near the troubled city of Najaf, Iraq. The mosque premises had been packed with people who came to heed the call by Iraq’s top Shia cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani for a peaceful march to Najaf to try and end the three-week-old fighting between United States (U.S.)-led forces and militia loyal to radical Shia cleric Maqtada Sadr. Also, in another incident, gunmen opened fire on a different set of marchers also heading from Kuja to Najaf, killing at least one person. Reports said 315 people were wounded in the attack on the Kuja Mosque. It was further reported that a crowd of 2,000 to 3,000 retreated from a road block on the main route to Najaf by heavy gunfire. According to an aide Jadr Hussam al-Huseini, who was quoted by reports, one mortar shell hit the mosque itself in Kufa while two others landed near the gates of the compound. Another mosque in the city was also reportedly hit by mortar rounds. As at Press time, those behind the attacks remained unknown. U.S. forces said they had not carried out any operation in Kufa for 24 hours. An eyewitness said: "We were gathering outside and inside the mosque preparing to head to Najaf when two mortar shells landed, one inside the mosque and the other on the main gate." In spite of the attacks reports said Ayattolah Sistani, accompanied by thousands of his supporters had arrived Najaf where he is expected to announce measures aimed at resolving the crisis in the holy city. Before the cleric’s arrival, the interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi ordered the Iraqi forces to observe a 24-hour ceasefire in the city to allow Sistain establish contact with Sadr. Ayattolah Sistani, who arrived Iraq Wednesday after medical treatment in the United Kingdom (UK), said of his mission: "I have come for the sake of Najaf and I will stay in Najaf until the crisis ends." A few months ago, he had been instrumental in brokering ceasefire between Sadr’s loyalists and U.S.-led forces in the city. According to aides, the Ayatollah’s proposal will include weapons-free zones in both Najaf and Kuja, both strongholds of Moqtada Sadr, and the replacement of the foreign troops by Iraqi police. � 2004 @ Champion Newspapers Limited (All Right Reserved). Powered By dnetsystems.net dnet�

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