A deal to end fighting between militants and security forces in the Baghdad stronghold of Iraqi Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr was largely holding today, but sporadic clashes between gunmen and US forces continued.
Residents in Sadr City said there was no fighting overnight but that small clashes had flared up today, a day after Shia political factions reached an agreement to end weeks of fighting that killed hundreds of people in the area.
The conflict between US-backed security forces and gunmen had trapped the two million residents of Sadr City in a battle zone and prompted aid workers to warn of a humanitarian crisis.
But deals to end battles between gunmen loyal to the anti-US cleric and security forces have collapsed in the past. It is also unclear how much control Sadr has over many of the Mehdi Army militiamen who claim allegiance to him.
Officials at the two hospitals in Sadr City said they had received one body and treated five wounded people overnight.
Before the deal was struck yesterday, the two hospitals said 19 people had been killed and 116 wounded in the previous 24 hours.
The government has welcomed the deal, struck between the Sadr movement's bloc in parliament and the ruling Shia alliance.
The US military spokeswoman Jerry O'Hara also welcomed efforts to end violence through political negotiations. But the US military said it would continue to target what it called criminals using Sadr City to launch attacks.
The Iraqi government said the truce would enable security forces to enter the area and deliver emergency aid to residents, which would start after a 4-day grace period to give militants time to quit their positions and clear the roads of bombs.