Iraqi national guardsmen yesterday took up positions in the old town of Najaf for the first time in three weeks of fighting, raising the possibility that an assault on the shrine of Imam Ali is imminent.
Several loud blasts were heard in central Najaf last night and a US AC-130 gunship began circling the city shortly afterwards, hitting targets. Ground-based artillery fired several rounds in the direction of the shrine.
Forces loyal to Moqtada al-Sadr, the rebel Shia cleric, who are inside the shrine, were earlier warned that they had only a short time left to surrender or face an assault.
"This evening, Iraqi forces will reach the doors of the shrine and control it and appeal to the Mahdi army to throw down their weapons," said Hazim al-Shalaan, Iraqi Defence Minister, referring to Mr al-Sadr's militia. "If they do not, we will wipe them out."
A spokesman for Mr al-Sadr, who has not been seen in public for more than a week, said his leader still wanted to negotiate. Another of Mr al-Sadr's aides said shrapnel from an American attack on Monday night had hit the shrine's golden dome, one of its minarets and the compound's outer wall. The US said the Mahdi army caused the damage after firing a rocket that clipped one of the shrine's walls and exploded.
Yesterday an official at Najaf's al-Hakim Hospital said at least two fighters had been killed and four wounded. Two civilians also died and two others were injured. More casualties were reported in the old city, where emergency workers could not reach.
Mr Iyad Allawi, Iraq's interim Prime Minister, is demanding that Mr al-Sadr announce in public his agreement to the terms of a peace initiative outlined by a national conference last week.
The brunt of the fighting in Najaf has been carried out by US marines, and witnesses say Iraqi police and national guardsmen have so far largely taken shelter behind US armour during the confrontation.
Any final assault on the shrine is likely to be carried out by Iraqi troops, judging by the statements of both US and Iraqi officials.
Mr Allawi desperately needs a solution to the Najaf confrontation if he is to have any political future in Iraq. His ministers have made repeated threats against Mr al-Sadr's militia, leading some to think that the preferred strategy is to wear down the fighters in and around the Imam Ali shrine rather than to kill them.
The increase in tension came as two ministers in Mr Allawi's interim government narrowly escaped death yesterday, marking a resumption of violence in central Baghdad. Mr Sami al-Mudhaffar, Education Minister, was targeted in a roadside bombing, and the convoy of Mr Mishkat Moumin, Environment Minister, was hit by a suspected suicide bomber.
The ministers themselves escaped largely unscathed, but up to five bodyguards were killed.
Senior government officials have been targeted by militants opposed to the continued US occupation.
Mr Ezzedin Salim, then chairing the US-appointed Governing Council, was killed in May. Since then the Justice Minister has been targeted unsuccessfully. However, several less heavily protected deputy ministers and senior civil servants have been assassinated.
Insurgents also attacked a truck and an ambulance taking aid to Najaf, killing two people.
An Islamist group said it had seized an Italian journalist and gave Rome 48 hours to announce it was pulling its troops from Iraq or it would not be able to ensure his safety, Al Jazeera television said.
The Italian appeared alone on a video tape and identified himself as Enzo Baldoni. Italy said it would not give in to the threat. - (Financial Times, Reuters)