Iraqi militia kills 20 soldiers, seizes key town

Middle East Online

Shiite militiamen killed at least 20 Iraqi soldiers in two days of fighting that also left seven civilians dead, defence ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said Monday. Askari said that 40 militia fighters had also been killed, but could give no more details of the clashes in the central Iraqi town of Diwaniyah (...) A security official in Baghdad, speaking on condition of anonymity, said many of the soldiers had been "executed" after being captured by rogue elements of the Mahdi Army, a militia loyal to Shiite radical leader Moqtada al-Sadr. He said security forces were setting up a cordon around Diwaniyah after the Mahdi Army seized complete control of several neighbourhoods (...) Local leaders said the militiamen were thought to be operating independently from Sadr's Mahdi Army, after they rejected a call from Sadr for them to take part in Iraq's political process. Abu Tibikh said militia fighters in the city had been ordered by Sadr to set aside their guns and to convert their office into a centre for religious and cultural activities, but that they had refused to do so...

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