Clashes Resume in Najaf, Handover Talks Hit Snag

[Rose Siding]

NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Fighters loyal to Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr clashed with U.S. troops in Najaf on Saturday after talks with religious authorities to end a siege at the city's holiest shrine ran into difficulties.

Explosions from mortar bombs and rocket propelled-grenades echoed through the alleyways of the old city in Najaf, wrecking a day of relative calm in a two-week Shi'ite Muslim uprising that has helped drive world oil prices to record highs.

Militiamen had earlier brandished weapons around the Imam Ali mosque, dampening hopes that an offer by Sadr to hand the shrine over to the clerical establishment would end the siege, the biggest challenge yet faced by Iraq's interim government.

"Bring those Americans here to fight hand to hand," one of Sadr's followers said before the latest outbreak of fighting.
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In the western town of Ramadi, police said the head of the criminal investigation unit, Saad Samir, was shot dead on Saturday, although the reason for the attack was not immediately clear. Insurgents have often targeted Iraqi security forces. (Additional reporting by Khaled Farhan in Najaf and Walid Ibrahim in Baghdad)

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