Leaders of a militia loyal to an anti-American Shiite cleric said Saturday that they would not carry out attacks on U.S.-led occupation troops in the city of Karbala until the end of a religious festival this weekend.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are in Karbala and other Shiite cities to mark al-Arbaeen, the end of the mourning period for a 7th-century martyred Shiite saint. Ceremonies are to be held until Sunday night.
According to The AP, the armed supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr have clashed daily with Polish and Bulgarian soldiers in the city, some 100 kilometers south of Baghdad.
"We decided to halt the military actions until the end of al-Arbaeen," said Khudeir al-Ansari, head of al-Sadr's office in Karbala.
Meanwhile, a U.S. general on Saturday called on Sunni fighters in the city of Fallujah to join in a bilateral cease-fire.
"Today what we are seeking is a bilateral cease-fire," Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt told reporters in Baghdad. "This is an aspiration."
He added that he was "hoping to get this message to the enemy through this press conference so they can join the cease-fire."
Kimmitt's call came after Iraq's U.S.-appointed Governing Council passed a unanimous decision calling for a cease-fire. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
