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US troops have seized a brother-in-law of radical Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr in Najaf, where fighting in the cemetery has reportedly left dozens dead.
Iraqi sources said Sayyed Ryad al-Nuri, a close aide to the Mehdi Army's leader, was taken without a fight during raids in the city.
But a battle raged through the night in Najaf's vast cemetery, with US sources reporting about 50 gunmen killed.
In Baghdad, some 20 of Mr Sadr's armed followers are also said to have died.
US tanks and helicopter gunships sought out positions of the Mehdi Army (MA), who fought back with rocket-propelled grenades and mortars.
A Sadr spokesman talked of a "true slaughter house" among the tombs.
BBC Read More
Iraqi sources said Sayyed Ryad al-Nuri, a close aide to the Mehdi Army's leader, was taken without a fight during raids in the city.
But a battle raged through the night in Najaf's vast cemetery, with US sources reporting about 50 gunmen killed.
In Baghdad, some 20 of Mr Sadr's armed followers are also said to have died.
US tanks and helicopter gunships sought out positions of the Mehdi Army (MA), who fought back with rocket-propelled grenades and mortars.
A Sadr spokesman talked of a "true slaughter house" among the tombs.
BBC Read More
